Phoenix Wright is Guilty of Being Amazing

The first game in the Ace Attorney series was originally only released in Japan and on the GBA!  It was not until the DS was released in America that we were lucky enough to get this title, and with a bonus level unique to this DS version!  I had always been interested in this franchise, especially when its popularity began to grow in Japan, and than in America.  Before I knew it, three games were released in the US, and I still had not bought even one of them!  One day, GameStop had a sale on a bunch of games, and I was fortunate enough to find all three Phoenix Wright games for under 30 dollars!  That is one heck of a deal!  Last summer, I played through and beat the first game in the series, and am currently playing through the second and thoroughly enjoying it!  Today, however, I am only talking about the first game, Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney

Ace Attorney is similar to a text based adventure, straying only slightly from the genres roots.  You assume the role of, guess who, Phoenix Wright, a defense attorney and a very wacky court system.  The game is presented in a chapter format, giving the players 5 cases to solve.  Each case is separated by a few weeks or months in the story line.  Throughout the case, the player goes through two main types of game play: Investigation and Trial.  During the Investigation, the game plays much like a point and click mystery, like Myst on the PC, or other games similar to that.  During this portion of the game, you investigate crime scenes via the touch screen, and interrogate suspects and witnesses.  Once enough evidence has been collected, the "Trial"phase of the game starts.  This is probably my favorite part of the game, and it involves cross examining witness testimonies, presenting contradictory evidence, and doing whatever it takes to prove your client innocent.  

As the court system in fictitious, many of the cases can get quite zany, and thus pretty hilarious.  All of the characters have very colorful personalities to match the strange crimes that can be committed.  Anything goes in this game, from harassing the judge, to badgering witnesses.  Its pretty crazy, and pretty fun.

What is particularly interesting about the Ace Attorney game, and the franchise as a whole really, is the fact that it is deep.  The characters all have complicated back stories, and intriguing personalities.  The on-going story that unfolds in the background of all the cases is equally deep and provides unity to all the characters.  This game was by no means meant to be a one time court simulation.  Rather, it was carefully designed to be a long franchise with characters interesting enough to truly care about.  This allows for some intense scenes, and moments where the game even jerks a few tears from the player.

The music matches the fun, and sometimes epic feel to the game.  If anyone knows where I can download this soundtrack, let me know, as it is awesome.  it can be funny, sad, intense, or epic depending on the scenario. 

The downside to this first Ace Attorney game is the DS only 5th case.  Regrettably, it is a bonus that should have never been created.  As it is unique to the DS, many of the objects in the case are presented with 3D animations, and the puzzles utilize the DS's unique function like the microphone and the touch screen.  While these are interesting, they feel tacked on and gimmicky like the DS's launch titles in 2004.  Not only this, but this case is rather uninteresting compared to earlier cases, and it is the longest in the series, making it very difficult to complete.  The previous 4 cases took me roughly 2 weeks to complete, though I was playing through very slowly.  The fifth case took and additional 2 weeks by itself!  I am amazed I ever managed to get through it. 

This leads me to my final point.  As Ace Attorney is about reading, and more reading, it should be played in small sittings, or when the player is in the mood for what essentially is a novel.  As each line of text can prove vital in saving your client, you must be attentive.  Phoenix Wright is, by no means, an action title, so make sure you are aware of that.

The Ace Attorney franchise has always been an interest of mine, and now that I am almost done with the second game, I can tell you that I see a bright future for the series and I.  It is very fun and hard to put down.  Pick this title up if you want a fun, lengthy game that will make you laugh, fall in love with new characters, and challenge your wits!  Its super cheap at most game stores, so check it out!

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: 7/10

Note* This review was originally more in depth, but my computer decided to restart itself without informing me first...  I was much to lazy to re-type the entire thing...  So there you have it.