Compiz was what got me to try out Linux in the first place - seeing wobbly windows and the desktop cube convinced me that this wasn't just a dry server OS but was actually something that could be fun to use.
Those were very interesting times for the desktop. I remember slooowly backing off all the effects after changing Nvidia drivers and restarting X for the Nth time. :-) Eventually just stuck with nv or nouveau or whatever it was. I loved drawing with particles all over the desktop, but little tweaks here and there started to make the whole thing really complex.
I miss my terminals which would explode into flames when closed.
But, such things are not impossible in wayland at all, it might even work via xWayland.