Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

The Good
"Phoenix Wright" is quite hard to explain to someone who never played the game. So let's put it simply : you assume the role of a young attorney with great potential (and spiky hair). The game is a succession of cases in which you must prove your client is not guilty. Each case divides between investigation and trials, in which you confront and cross-examine witnesses. So, basically, Phoenix Wright (PW) looks a lot like japanese investigation games like Snatcher. But in terms of game mechanics it is totally different, most notably because of the trial scenes (we'll talk more about it later)

Beside its original concept, PW is also filled with a wacky, witty sense of humor. The witnesses' names are all pun-intended ("Mr. Sawhit", "April May", and so on), they all have their own, distinctive way of talking (for instance the over-arrogant Redd White uses words like "fantabulistic" on a daily basis) and the dialogues are full of jokes and punchlines. The humor is also on the graphical side : the faces of the witnesses change as you cross-examine their testimony, your character sweats when it is not going as good as planned, with a clever use of the graphical codes of the anime/manga Super-Deformed style....

But the greatest part of the game still are the trials. Using the evidence you found in the investigation scenes, you'll try to prove the contradictions in the witness' testimony. But rather that a dull procedure, it is filled with hysteria, humor and excitement. "Objection !", "Stop It !", "Take This !" blows the upper screen as you - or the prosecutor, who you will soon learn to hate - try to change the course of the judgment. Those scenes are incredibly funny. And if the first trials are quite easy, it becomes quickly very complicated, as your opponent is better and better able to break your defense and put your client in danger.

Finally, one last word on the great quality of writing. Even if the game is mainly a comedy, it does have its tragic moments (those are murder cases, after all) and they are handled very well.

The Bad
"Nothing !" I would answer, but actually there are one or two things that are a bit annoying.

First, the introduction sequence of each case shows you who is the murderer, and if it makes your job easier it kills a bit the mystery. But like a good old Lieutenant Columbo episode, the important part is less "who" did it, but rather "why", and of course, "how can I catch him/her" ?

Second, the stories are sometimes a bit far-fetched, but don't forget it is COMEDY, after all.

The Bottom Line
Probably the best game so far on the DS, and an instant classic. DS proved it was a great machine for adventure games (with titles as "Trace memory" or "Lost in Blue") and "Phoenix Wright" is only the confirmation of this statement.

The Good
It is weird, fun, silly and surprisingly emotional at times. I couldn't get a bead on where this game goes at times. One moment it's all fun and games, and the next, it's a tragic story.

Gameplay is as basic as it could get on a DS. It's mostly a visual novel. You get your occasional puzzle and a few options to ask questions and change locations; otherwise, it's a visual novel with puzzle game elements in it.

Music, while repetitive, was interesting and quite memorable. It never felt boring or irritating.

I also enjoyed all the characters, defendants, prosecutors. antagonists, and the almost pervy Judge.

Again, I can't tell why I loved this game. I think it was the mixture of courtroom drama, mystery, comedy and sillyness that made me want to know more. Each episode gets better and better.

The Bad
It is a visual novel. It is meant to be played in short bouts. If I didn't like visual novels in general, this one may not have clicked with me.

The Bottom Line
This is a great game. After playing it, I tried to find games similar to this one and found that there aren't any. It is just that addictive, weird, quirky and fun. I loved this one.

The Good
In the near future, a new court system has been brought about. People are guilty until proven innocent, the trial begins the day after the crime, and a verdict must be reached within three days of trial. Not an easy time to be a defense attorney. Playing as rookie attorney Phoenix, you'll investigate various murders and defend your client in court. Within each case you'll go back and forth between the two modes, with more segments of each in the later longer cases.

Investigations involve traveling between the available areas, asking questions of the people there, and investigating the areas for evidence or other clues. As you gain new knowledge, new possibilities open until you gather all that's necessary to proceed to the trial phase.

The trial is the real center of drama. After the prosecution introduces a witness and they present their testimony, you get to cross-examine the witness. At any time you can press them for more details. Your main goal is to find inconsistencies between their testimony and the facts (or their previous testimony), which Phoenix can then present with a righteous "OBJECTION!" If you're wrong, a mark is counted against you; too many and your client will be found Guilty. If you're right, the witness will try to correct their story, and the cross-examination will continue. Eventually you'll either get your client found Not Guilty, or at least introduce enough question that the judge will allow more investigation to occur.

Controls are pretty simple. Ace Attorney was originally a GBA game, so everything can still be controlled with the d-pad and buttons, but you can also do everything very conveniently with the stylus (my preferred method). You can even hold a button to use the microphone in court, shouting "Hold it!" to press a witness or "Objection!" to present a contradiction. Unless you're by yourself and want to wear out your voice you probably won't bother, but it's a fun novelty.

The exception to this DS rule is the last case, which was specifically added to the DS version. In this case they'll take greater advantage of the touch screen and advanced graphics capabilities by letting you dust for prints with a stylus and blow the dust away with the microphone, and twist 3D objects around with the stylus. It's also the longest case in the game, giving the game as a whole a pretty significant length.

The gameplay mechanics seem pretty simple, and they are. Luckily they're used on top of fun stories, characters, and just plain writing, which is what you'll leave the game remembering. From the names (Detective Dick Gumshoe and Ms. Oldbag for instance) to comments made by your assistant during your investigations, to the inept comments made by the judge, to even the varied styles used (one witness speaks in 1337) reading this title will leave you entertained--which is a good thing, since you'll be doing it most of the time. I actually found myself laughing out loud occasionally. You'll get attached to the characters, and assisting in their triumphs (or stopping a murderer) makes you feel pretty great.

Another bonus about the good story-telling and simple gameplay is that this is a good game for people who aren't into very complicated games. When it comes to handheld game systems my mom primarily likes to play puzzle, card, or board games, but as a bit of a nut for CSI, Law & Order, and murder mystery novels, I thought she might get a kick out of Phoenix Wright. I was right. She got stuck a few times and called on me to assist, but she never felt over her head.

The Bad
If you demand a lot of interaction, this game might not be for you; it's very much on rails. You'll investigate and learn certain things in a certain order, until you've completed the game's objectives and move to the trial. At the trial you'll have to press the right statements and present the right piece of evidence at the right time. It may sometimes seem as if more than one piece is applicable, but it's only expecting one. You can at any time save the game to prevent losing progress and having to restart from the beginning of that day's trial, but repeatedly guessing can get pretty old if you're not sure what to do.

Other than seeing the story again, there's little to be gained by replaying this game. You're not going to find any new side areas you missed the first time around, or find an even better piece of evidence to use in trial. The most you can hope to gain is to investigate something you didn't see the first time around and get another funny comment from your assistant, or catch some other stray bit of text you'd previously missed. At least when replaying a case, though, you'll be able to scroll through the text much more quickly.

Though I earlier praised the game's writing and localization, there is one aspect I don't like. The Japanese version of the game was set in Japan, but in the English version it says it takes place in the USA. Considering the game contains things like nearby movie studios specializing in samurai shows and pre-packaged sushi meals, it rings false every time the text suggests they're in California.

As I mentioned earlier, the game was originally for GBA. Most of it hasn't been very changed, so the graphics and sound are under DS par. The designs aren't bad, but you'll notice some dithering and wish a few more colors were used. The music works, but you might wish for better samples.

Warning that there's only one save per game card. After beating a case you can jump to the beginning of it at any time, but don't expect to let someone else start their adventure while you're still in the middle of yours.

The Bottom Line
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is like an interactive comic. As someone who enjoys interactive and non-interactive entertainment, I don't mind a blurring of the lines if it's done well, and I believe it is here, though it's easy to get stuck and frustrated.