Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

"Um, um, HOLD IT! (Sorry, all the good taglines were taken...)"

I'm always on the lookout for something different. Different from all the shooters and RPGs we see today. I got the Nintendo DS hoping to see some unique games that weren't anywhere else, but lo and behold I have one right here! *presents a copy of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney* This game caught my attention when it was announced. Never before had I played a game where you can play as a lawyer in charge of investigating murder trials. I just HAD to get my hands on this game, and I was not disappointed.

As you would expect from the title, you take control of a lawyer named Phoenix Wright, a rookie who actually manages to fend well for himself, considering the opponents he's faced with. After an easy case used to let the player get used to the courtroom action, Phoenix Wright must investigate the scenes of murders, talk to witnesses, detectives, and anyone else who was related to the murder, find evidence, and use that evidence in the appropriate time in court. The courtroom proceedings are all about finding CONTRADICTIONS (this is a fact you're constantly reminded of throughout the game). If a witness is lying, or there is something fishy about what he or she is saying, it's the player's job to select which piece of evidence contradicts the testimony and prove it to the court. Each courtroom trial will last only three days at the maximum, and when you aren't defending your client, it's your job to find more evidence and witnesses at the scene of the crime.

The dialogue in PWAA is, in one word, superb. I warn you now, if you don't like to read, you aren't going to like this game. There is text everywhere, and none of it is spoken, except for a few lines repeated throughout the game. But if you can handle the endless reading, you're in for a well-written story, with twists and turns at every point, interesting characters, and constantly witty dialogue. None of the five cases are ever obvious at the beginning, and often you will be guessing what happens until near the end of the trial, at which point it will be your JOB to prove what happened. Phoenix does an excellent job at thinking what the player is thinking, though not all the time. And unfortunately, that's where PWAA falls short.

As well done as the cases are, there are moments when multiple pieces of evidence can all seem to be the "right" piece to present. Even if you have a perfectly good explanation for why one piece is contradictory to the testimony, Phoenix Wright may not be thinking the same way, and it turns into a guessing game. There will be times, especially during the fifth and final chapter, where you'll find yourself constantly saving so you won't lose your penalties from the judge when presenting evidence that isn't "correct" by the game's standards. The game turns into a trial-and-error method that isn't really entertaining at all. Fortunately, these moments don't show up until late in the game, and if you're careful, you may not even encounter them.

Graphic-wise, PWAA is nothing special. In fact, it's mostly a port of a Japanese GBA game. Most of the areas you visit look good, but they're all static pictures, and examining them merely consists of pointing a cursor at a spot and hitting "examine". The characters, on the other hand, are very well-drawn, even in the fifth chapter, which wasn't in the original Japanese game. They also have enough variety to them, as well as their personalities, that you never feel like two characters are too similar to each other. They all have a distinct look and feel, and this truly benefits the game. On the other hand, Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth (who you will learn about when you play the game), could definitely stand to have more animations. They use the same gestures throughout the whole game, and as cool as Edgeworth's "I've got a trick up my sleeve" gesture is, even it gets repetitive. Okay, maybe that one doesn't, but seeing Phoenix Wright constantly slam the table in the same fashion gets old.

There isn't a lot to say about the sound of this game. The music is well-composed, and isn't annoying or cheesy unless it's SUPPOSED to be annoying and cheesy. And that's only limited to one track. The music is bogged down a tad bit by the sound of scrolling text, but the text isn't that annoying. Unfortunately, for a game so text-heavy, there is no voice acting, save for Phoenix Wright's "OBJECTION!" and "HOLD IT!", and a few other characters.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is an excellent game that I highly recommend you play, unless you hate reading and thinking, because you'll be doing a lot of that. The people have Capcom have done an excellent job translating the massive amounts of text in this game, and the fifth case was not simply thrown in, either. In fact, it is the most advanced of the cases, requiring you to examine objects in 3-D and use the touch screen to find fingerprints. There's even a well-done video in it! Anyways, despite this game's shortcomings, it is a game that deserves attention. I can only hope the sequels come to North America as well.

HOLD IT!

What am I saying? It's Capcom! They're KNOWN for making sequels on a yearly basis!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/10/05