Games with peripherals

There are loads of games out there that use optional controller peripherals. Which do you think are the best / worst? Which do you prefer to use for certain games? What games are easier with the pad opposed to the peripheral?

Guitar Hero (PS2) ~ The first game I can admit has actually made me want to choose to play with the supplied peripheral rather than use a conventional control pad. A lot of games out there use peripheral controllers as gimmicks, but the gimmicks usually wear off after a while and you find yourself defaulting back to using a normal controller, which is usually a lot easier. Guitar Hero is one game that breaks this rule, and actually inspires you to want to play with the kooky controller rather than using a pad.

Donkey Konga (GameCube) ~ The bongo's are a great novelty idea, but after a while you get bored of banging your hands, and decide that thumb abuse is a lot better, and less stressful. At least the Donkey Konga games have two modes and two separate scoreboards depending on whether you use a controller or the bongo's. The bongo's are nice for a party, but if you are going after those high scores, or want to beat a particularly difficult part of a song, then the pad is a lot easier.

Steel Battalion (Xbox) ~ You don't really have much choice with this game but to use the supplied 40 button controller, as it doesn't work with conventional pads. But it isn't a bad thing, as the controller helps in creating the effect, and drawing you into the game. An amazing game ten years a head of it's time, and worth playing if only to fire up the mech in the hanger at the beginning.

Beatmania (PlayStation) ~ Argh. One of the worst peripherals ever devised. Not only is it impossible to play the game with the Beatmania controller, but it's build quality is so poor, you don't even stand a chance. One game it is certainly easier to use a controller with

The Xbox Live headset has to be considered one of the most important ever. The way it was/is designed is quite well-thought out, especially the way it plugs into your controller.

What about the amazing Dreamcast keyboard? Typing of the dead?

Before that, there were no mainstream consoles to have a typing imput like that (mice don't count, Mario Paint.)

And finally, what about the valuable addition to any gamer's collection: the attachable LCD displays? Does anyone else see this as totally stupid? If you want to play it in the car, there are so many converters and stuff you have to buy to play the durned thing, you are parting with a pretty penny. And worse, the console/screen can overload your alternator. That would be great midway through a roadtrip. And portability? Computer displays do it high def. And chances are, if you've got a console, you have a computer of some kind.