I'm a big fan of rhythm games.
My first exposure was
Frequency and
Amplitude, both of which were on the PS2. These were kind of like playing a Bemani game without the proper controller or a keyboard; basically you hit the buttons on the PS2 controller, but the catch was that the prompts were arrayed onto a tunnel-like space, so you were constantly having to use the d-pad or thumbstick to maneuver the cursor to the right area. Like all the best rhythm games, the song structure would grow as you hit the correct prompts, and alternatively collapse as you missed them.
Next came DDR for me, which I never really cared that much for because I'm an incredibly awkward and uncoordinated person with gangly legs and feet, but I enjoyed watching other people play. Though I'm sure I afforded others amusement in my own way.
Rez was (and still is) amazing. One of those games I have the utmost respect for, and something that makes a convincing case against those who don't consider the medium art. I never used the vibrator peripheral, but some friends and I made a ghetto version with the lollypop joystick of a fighting game pad. The motor had variable rotary control in response to vibration commands, and we set it to go crazy at the slightest provocation. Sounded like a jackhammer.
In college I was really into Beatmania, and to a lesser extent Pop 'n' Music. I had a Japanese version of the PS2, so I could import all the versions that were never available in the states. The last two I played were IIDX 14: Gold and IIDX 16: Empress.
