Yes, the ceremony of getting a piston engine running can be very satisfying. When you're drifting away from the dock in a wind, and you're going to get one chance to get it running before you drift into the trees on the other shore behind you, it can be more stressful than satisfying. This was a major factor in the decision to modify a Cessna 185 to be carburetted, rather than fuel injected - easy starts!