GamesRadar: Evolution of the tree

You don't know how good you've got it. With the latest generation, you've got one of the most sophisticated pieces of technology in the world sitting under your television (or sitting on your desk), obediently pumping out hundreds of thousands of polygons a second and making trillions of calculations, all so you can sit there grunting about how the draw distance isn't that great, or how the characters' faces aren't that well animated. Well, it's time for a history lesson.

Over the next few pages GamesRadar will be looking at gaming's unsung heroes – objects like rocks, puddles and, er, breasts – and how they've changed over the decades. After you've witnessed the horrors within, you'll never complain about graphics again. Well, not much. You'll thank the stars your character has a fully animated face, however wonky, and more than three pre-set animations. You'll skip merrily through the battlefield gazing at 3D barrels, thankful they no longer look like grey, pixelly potato croquettes. You'll gaze (even more) longingly at Taki from Soul Calibur's jiggling breasts, overjoyed at the fact that… well, you get the idea. Let's go.