Googleshng:
You're thinking of the NeoGeo Pocket, not the Wonderswan Color. The former is a handheld made by SNK, the company that decided they didn't like the US anymore and left. The latter is made by Bandai of all people, and has nothing but these few Square things on it to speak of. As for Square releasing games on Nintendo handhelds, well, Square and Nintendo aren't the best of friends at the momment, but if that changes soon (and it might), I'm sure GBA FFs will be one of the first things you'll see. Finally, you won't be seeing any DC FFs. Square's never really liked Sega, probably because unlike every other console manufacturer, Sega makes RPGs. DARN GOOD RPGs at that. So Square just grumbles at them.

Googleshng:
OK, the PSO security issue is basically just that when you create a character, it saves the serial numbers of your copy of PSO and your DC to that character, or something like that. So, you can make as many characters as you want, and you can switch ISPs as much as you want, but don't go taking your VMU to a friends house and expect to be able to use it with their copy... but then if you and your friend both have PSO, you should be staying home and playing online! As for Mother 3, well it died. That sort of thing happens every so often.

Googleshng:
PSO is remarkably lag free, even if you're on a 56k modem. I suppose your ISP is a factor though. Hmm... your second question is rhetorical! As is your third! The rest aren't even questions! Anyway though, yes, Slayers could easily be made into a darn good paper RPG. Ideally from scratch, by the makers of the show. Converting it to other game systems leaves the problem of really having to water down all the spells. Oh, and Amish people really aren't allowed to have computers! Go tattle on them!

Googleshng:
I've gotten two or three other grumbles today about various PSX games freezing and having other errors when played on the PSX2. Evidently there IS a reason to keep your original PSXes lying around.

Googleshng:
Well, it's something of a moot point seeing as there IS no "PSO world". Just games being played with groups of up to four people, and lobbies in between. Still, while I personally play almost exclusively with friends, and have no keyboard, on the occassions when I have played with strangers, I've never seen any of the unsavory speech patterns you've mentioned above. On the other hand, I personally have never encountered any real chit-chat between characters, mostly just contextual things like "Wow! That's a NICE sword!" "Ack! Someone heal me!" "Watch out, this hallway is lined with traps." and so forth. Most smiley faces on the other hand tend to be VERY in character, and I've laughed out loud several times upon seeing how creative people can get with them.

Googleshng:
I don't recall any recent Grandia 2 letters, so it must have been swallowed by the void. Just as well since G2 hasn't quite reached the top of my stack yet. Anyway though, on to your question. Being VMUless, I had to research this, and evidently there's 3 or 4 seperate Pinta mini-games. In one you have to steer around rocks, in one you have to keep hitting the two buttons in a mashing manner, etc. None involve tossing the VMU on a coffee table and waiting for it to beep. As for a favorite aspect of SoA, that's a tough call. I think I'd have to either go with the ship battles, or the amazing range of expression from the characters. It's all good though.

The Last Laugh: