The front of the console is pretty close to the PS2 – power on and eject buttons and a couple USB ports. No controller or memory card ports though – but they're not needed because of the hard drive and Bluetooth. Still, this means I can't transfer over saves from my PS1 games.
Correction: you can indeed transfer files from PS1/PS2 memmory card to your PS3. But you need an USB device for that. I've seen it but for me it has no purpose. My PS3 is japanese, and backwards emulation are entitled to the region of the original games. As I don't have any japanese ps1 games, nor ps2 games (if ever one day sony puts backwards emulation for ps2 for those ps3's that don't have it) it's not gonna be much use for me anyway.
About RPGs, they are my thing too.
I've just beat Valkyria Chronicles this past week and I'll tell you, it's awesome ! Too bad it didn't get much attention when it was released.
But the RPGs are coming: White Knight Chronicles is coming Feb 2nd, Star Ocean the Last Hope Internation will also be on Feb, and for me, the best RPG this gen (so far) was Tales of Vesperia and it's coming to PS3. It was already released in Japan, and its first DAY there on PS3, sold more that it has sold every where else in the world combined for the 360. I beat, loved it, and I'll buy it again for the PS3 (it has TONS of new stuff and extras).
And just so you won't feel bad, Lost Odyssey is a major disappointment. Frame rate is weird, the areas you walk seem small (like in old RPGs), the voice acting was horrible. I mean, not terrible like Star Ocean 3 for PS2, but it was sub par,
in every language, and believe me I tried 3 of those (English, Japanese). Sure this game could help you pass your time until you wait something good, but it's not worth being sad for not having played it.