Ace Attorney History
The game that started it all! You take control of rookie defense lawyer Phoenix Wright as he and his spirit medium-in-training partner Maya Fey work through four cases, one of which includes defending Phoenix himself! You also get to meet Miles Edgeworth, a savage criminal prosecutor who is rumored to do whatever it takes to get a "guilty" verdict, and Dick Gumshoe, a bumbling yet well-meaning detective. The DS release also introduces a special 5th case where you get introduced to Ema Skye for the first time, as well as using the features of the DS to inspect evidence in 3D to find things that people may have missed.
This sequel, widely considered to be the "weakest" of the AA series, is still an incredible piece of work. You once again take control of Phoenix Wright across four cases as he works to defend his clients. Along the way, you get introduced to Maya Fey's niece, Pearl Fey. Phoenix has a new adversary this time around: a cruel, whip-weilding prosecutor by the name of Franziska von Karma who bears a serious grudge against Phoenix.
JFA also introduces a new gameplay element called "Psyche Locks." While interrogating people outside of the courtroom, you may notice that several locks appear to surround them. These are Psyche Locks, and they present themselves when it appears that the person is lying about something. It is up to Phoenix to present evidence, be it people or objects, to shatter these locks and get the person to confess what they are hiding.
The explosive third game in the series! Not only are you in control of Phoenix in this game, but you also take a trip back in time to his mentor Mia Fey's rookie days as a defense attorney. You also get to meet the mysterious coffee-chugging prosecutor known as "Godot," a man who has a major vendetta against Phoenix. Many of the characters from the previous games make an appearance to help or hinder Phoenix as you make your way to the unbelievable finale!
The 4th game in the Ace Attorney series, and also the first to introduce a brand-new defense attorney. Phoenix Wright is no longer the attorney you control, due to losing his attorney's badge in a past case. Meet instead Apollo Justice, the new rookie in town. Occaisionally getting help from Phoenix himself, Apollo and his sidekick Trucy will work through five cases. Along the way, the circumstances behind Phoenix's mysterious final case will reveal themselves, bringing to light new revelations that reveal more of Phoenix's character.
The game gets rid of Psyche Locks, and introduces a new mechanic called the "Percieve System." It can be used to look for motions or actions made by witnesses that show nervousness, similar to a tell in poker. The move even comes with the catchphrase, "Gotcha!" You also can use the DS' stylus to rotate and flip individual pieces of evidence to see if anything has been overlooked after finding them. Fans of the first game will recognize this feature well, and everyone who plays will have to constantly utilize this new tool.
The very first spinoff in the series, featuring third-person point-n-click-style gameplay and starring everyone's favourite prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth. After returning home from a long stay in Europe, Edgeworth finds himself caught up in a mysterious smuggling ring with a dark and violent past. To make matters worse, he's constantly being hounded by the ice-cold, proverb-spouting Interpol agent Shi-Long Lang. Even with the help of the trust Detective Dick Gumshoe and self-proclaimed "Great Thief" Kay Faraday, will Edgeworth be able to crack the smuggling ring and solve a string of murders along the way? This game is also notable for introducing the unqiue "Logic" mechanic (replacing Psyche Locks from the Phoenix Wright trilogy), which allows you to string together related objects and thoughts to form conclusions and evidence, and for having one of the most persistently annoying villains in all of video games.
In this exciting (and import-only) sequel to Ace Attorney Investigations, Edgeworth is among the targets of young judge Hakari Mikagami's Prosecutor Purge, a program designed to replace recalcitrant and amateurish prosecutors with ones more worthy of their lofty status. Miles must also deal with his inner turmoil regarding which path he was destined to take: that of the skilled, ruthless prosecutor, or the noble, truth-seeking defense attorney. A new addition to the series' mechanics is the Logic Chess system, in which the titular chess provides a visual metaphor for Edgeworth's mental and verbal duel with his opponents. The game also marks the return of fan-favourite characters Shelly deKiller and Ema Skye.
- Platform: Nintendo 3DS
- Release Date: October 24, 2013 (NA + EU), July 25, 2013 (JP) (already released)
- MSRP: $29.99
- Distribution: Digital-Only Release (Hey, get back here!)
- ESRB: M
- Genre: Text-Based Adventure
It's been a long time coming for Ace Attorney fans.
Our last journey with Wright and his partners ended with Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (Ace Attorney 4). Now, four years later, we can step into the shoes of our favorite defense attorneys yet again with Ace Attorney 5: Dual Destinies!
One year after the events of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix is ready to finish what he started. His name has been cleared of the circumstances involving his disbarment, and he is ready to practice law once more.
There are dark clouds looming over the judicial system, and Phoenix and Apollo will pursue their own designs for the fate of the system.
It wouldn't be a proper Ace Attorney game without a spectacular cast.
Below are some of the characters who will be taking us through the latest chapter in the courtroom saga.
Phoenix, our hero, is back in action! He is cleared of the circumstances involving his disbarment, and he is hungry to finish what he started.
He's still his lovable, goofy self, but it is apparent that he has matured during his time away. Phoenix is in charge of his law firm, the Wright Anything Agency, along with Apollo and Athena.
The greenhorn defense attorney, star of the fourth entry in the series, is back in the fray. Apollo works together with Wright, Trucy, and Athena in the Wright Anything Agency, growing ever-attached to the gang. He, too, is still rather goofy and passionate, but, like Phoenix, Apollo has a more serious side to him this go around.
A new character in the courtroom drama saga! Athena is cheerful, and very easily excited by all that goes on. Studying psychology, she was able to pass her bar exam at a very young age. Her psychology studies combined with her keen seen ears, allows her to pick up very subtle emotional cues in a person's tone. She uses this in tandem with a computer device known as the “Mood Matrix” to be an invaluable asset to Wright's team.
Trucy's back from her debut in Ace Attorney 4! She is still her bright and energetic self, with a hint of devious trickery.
She still works as a magician, but her life as a high school student interferes with her being as direct of a partner as she was in Ace Attorney 4.
The main prosecutor of Ace Attorney 5. He's certainly the most foreboding looking one yet. Simon's a bit of an odd case in his position as a prosecutor. Somehow, even as a convicted felon (of murder for god's sake), he is allowed to serve as a prosecutor. He's not a particularly nice guy either, as he is cold and condescending, and loves to throw in a good bit of dark humor. Like Athena, he has studied psychology, and uses it to manipulate other people. Did I mention that he has a freaking hawk perched on his shoulder?
Of course Phoenix's journey will consist of meeting many people, ranging from eccentric, to irritable, to happy-go-lucky, to just down-right disturbing.
Who knows, we might even encounter a few familiar faces...
- The gameplay in Ace Attorney 5 is largely same as previous installments in the franchise. All episodes are split into two segments, Investigation and Court Processions, all across a certain number of days. In the Investigation segments, Phoenix and company will find evidence around the various locales related to the case, and question witnesses. In the Court Processions, our heroes then use their gathered evidence to expose contradictions and find the true culprit.
- Ace Attorney 5, being on the 3DS, makes full use of the stereoscopic 3D graphics, including character models, objects, and locales. A new dynamic camera allows for more immersion and investigation potential as you scour for clues. Capcom really nailed the character models' transition into 3D; their animations are fluid, and their color pallets really pop.
- Returning mechanics such as the Psyche-Lock, and the Perceive System are present. Psyche-Locks are like an extenstion of the Cross Examinations in court, where Phoenix must show evidence in order to uncover secrets locked away in people's hearts. The Perceive System allows Apollo to use his special bracelet to pick up on a subject's nervous twitches or habits. The newest mechanic however, is the Mood Matrix system, Athena's specialty. The Mood Matrix allows the player to guage the emotional undertones of a subject when they speak. For example, a witness recalling a sad incident shouldn't have a happy undertone. This is when the player can call out the discrepancy.
- A new “Thought Route” system, which is pretty much the Logic system from Ace Attorney Investigations. The player pieces together vital facts and amalgamates it into a larger clue about the case.
- Players are now able to view previously spoken dialogue from the case at any time.
Q: How long is this game?
A: It varies by how much you get stumped. It should be anywhere from 15-25ish, I believe
Q: Should I play other titles in the series in order to understand this installment?
A: YES. This is a story driven game after-all. And seriously, AA games are some of the best adventure games ever, get on that shit immediately. Stay AWAY from the iOS trilogy though. Far away.
And here are some nice guides created by Timeless that gives newcomers the full rundown.
Q: I heard this is digital only on Nintendo terrible, awful, puppy-kicking storefront. Is this true?
A: Yes it's true. For some reason Capcom doesn't see this game as being worth the retail funds, yet Lost Planet 3 was printed. Don't let the store dissuade you, this is AA5, we've been waiting for it for a while. Send Capcom the right message by supporting this amazing series.
Q: Why is this rated M?
A: No idea, it's hilarious. I suppose the game being in 3D ups the realism factor. Phoenix isn't beheading anyone, don't worry.
Q: Open spoilers in this thread?
A: Hell no. Seriously don't. Make a spoiler thread if you must.
Q: I'm too busy playing Pocket Monsters X and Y. What should I do?
A: It's a tough choice I know, but set aside the lil' guys for now. Phoenix is calling.
Q: Any news on Ace Attorney Investigations 2?
A: lol
Q: How big is the download?
A: A friendly Gaffer has said the following: "Japanese version is about 600 MB (about 4500 blocks). I doubt the English version is much different."
]Destructoid - 9.5/10 (Spoilers)
Metro - 9/10
Kotaku - Yes
GamesRadar - 4/5
Game Informer - 8/10
Joystiq - 4/5
Gamespot - 8/10
Gamesradar - 8/10
Gamereactor Spain - 8/10
Gametrailers - 7.3/10
IGN - 7.2/10 (Video Review)
EGM - 7/10
ShackNews - 6/10
GIFs
The series' music is simply superb. For space reasons, you can find most of the soundtracks on Youtube to listen to. Some of those playlists are:
Ace Attorney
Justice For All
Trials and Tribulations
Apollo Justice
Investigations
Investigations 2
While the movie is based off of Ace Attorney 1, there are some slight differences between the events of the movie and those of the first game.
- Phoenix Wright is not involved in the events of Turnabout Samurai, and Edgeworth is shown in a very brief scene confronting Dee Vasquez about her guilt
- Phoenix's first case is very different, with the defendant, killer and victim being the only holdovers (the circumstances, venue and judge are all different)
- The evidence that Mia stores in The Thinker (and was later murdered because of) is a bullet placing von Karma at the scene of the DL-6 incident rather than papers incriminating Redd White for blackmail.
- The entire character of Redd White is completely different, resembling a washed-up Beatles reject instead of a posh, shiny businessman. He also works as a small-time investigative journalist instead of running an information company, and is rather quiet and reserved (his splendiforous vocabulary is entirely absent). He is also murdered in prison by one of von Karma's thugs.
- April May, Bellboy and Marvin Grossberg are entirely absent.
- The DL-6 incident takes place in the court's evidence room (in which Gregory Edgeworth is tampering with evidence to find proof of von Karma's forgery) rather than an elevator.
- Yanni Yogi is played more sympathetically, and only attacks Gregory when he sees the attorney tampering with the evidence. More of his life post-insanity plea is also seen, which includes hurtful slurs being graffitied all over his house. The suicide of his significant other (Polly) is also shown on-screen (or rather the aftermath).
- Miles' supposed shooting of his father was done in broad daylight rather than in the dark, which only adds to his guilt.
- Every villain's breakdown is different. For example: instead of wailing like a banshee and bashing his head off of the wall, von Karma goes on a prolonged rant during which he physically deteriorates until he is forced to use a cane to walk.
- The events of Rise from the Ashes are not shown.
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