<Note: I'm sticking hacking and lock-picking in the same category b/c they're essentially the same function -- one for sci-fi, one for fantasy.>

I saw a game released here a little while ago with hacking with real code. For a futuristic game, it'd be fun to see you hack into the software or actually show a hardware diagram and hack through it by looking at the components.

As far as games I've played, simple things like Thief's lock-picking, Batman's lock-picking-hacking or just simply saying "hack this" with KOTOR and spending some items and skill points on the hack is just fine. None of them are super-satisfying, but they get the job done.

Batman's is easy enough not to be annoying.
Skyrim's is hard and easy enough to make it be fair.
Thief's lock-picking is fun b/c speed and sound are crucial elements.
KOTOR hacking is fun b/c it gets the job done without being annoying at all.

Ok.. Then the Hacking in Deus Ex Human Revolution is a decent mini game. It plays somewhat like a tower assault game.

Paradroid 90 had an excellent hacking game

Wasn't that Fallout 3?

EDIT: Never mind, should have finished reading the thread first

It isn't strange. of course there were easier games too, like Felix the Cat and such, but overall they were unusually hard. I remember my friend and I were exchanging our consoles to play sometimes. And difference between Sega Genesis games and NES games was huge. Eventually my friend got Sega too and his sister smashed NES to bits in enrage from difficulty of those games. You made me remember Pandemona from FF VIII. The only hint I remember from them game is that you needed 666 items to summon it. Who and how discovered what items were required - I am not sure, but perhaps I missed something obvious as FF VIII was quite boring.

Shadowrun (Genesis)

Glad I'm not the only one.