What core games, using modern programming techniques, couldn't be made on Gen 6?

[SvennoJ]

HoloDust said:

Twilord said:

What core games, using modern programming techniques, couldn't be made on Gen 6?

Most specifically the Gamecube, since it falls in the middle-power range of the consoles that stuck around. 

 

I'm not talking about graphically, and lets imagine the Gamecube disks could have their storage expanded. What modern games, if built intelligently (like Xenoblade Chronicles for Wii), couldn't be offered at the Gamcube's power level? I'm not so much asking about the fine-tooth combed physics that cause 'wow' the first time around before becoming old-hat, but rather the core experience.

 

OBVIOUSLY more power makes new things easier and assists in developing new tricks, but I'm curious what games you guy think could or couldn't be done pretty awesomely on Gamecube level technology.

I can go into usual AAA games, but I will just drop something that's been occupying me a lot lately (haven't played it for over a year, but now that 1.0 is out I'm all over it again):

Kerbal Space Program - amount of physics in it is such that it easily brings to its knees even modern high end CPUs when you build several thousand parts ships/space stations - orbital mechanics (and there's not even n-body simulation in there) and air drag while launching can be a bitch to calculate for each part.

That can be solved by adding all the parts together beforehand and calculate 1 or a few sets of profiles to be measured during take off.
KSP uses a brute force approach instead of a combined shape and power profile.
It did become very wobbly for huge spacecraft, plus the auto air stabilizers usually went nuts during take off.

Of course the fun of the game is how far you can push the brute force simulation until things start falling apart. Some of that might be lost with a combined shape. Is it going to reach orbit before it falls over, will that wobbly engine stack hold on long enough etc.