| Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney | |
|---|---|
| Completionist Info | |
 | |
| Episode Number | 176 |
| Date Released | June 3rd, 2016 |
| Completionist Rating | Finipete It! |
| Link | Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney |
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, known in Japan as Gyakuten Saiban (逆転裁判?, lit. "Turnabout Trial"), is a visual novel adventure video game developed by Capcom. It was originally released for the Game Boy Advance in 2001 in Japan, and has since been ported to multiple platforms. TheNintendo DS version, titled Gyakuten Saiban Yomigaeru Gyakuten in Japan, was released in 2005 in Japan and North America, and in 2006 in Europe, and includes an English language option. The game is the first entry in the Ace Attorney series, and has received several sequels and spin-offs.
The story follows Phoenix Wright, a rookie defense attorney who attempts to get his clients declared "not guilty". Among other characters are Phoenix's boss, Mia Fey; his assistant and Mia's sister, Maya; and prosecutor Miles Edgeworth. The player controls Phoenix through two types of sections: investigations and courtroom trials. During investigations, they gather information and evidence, and during trials, they cross-examine witnesses and answer questions from the judge, the prosecutor, and the witnesses. The story is split into five cases, the fifth being introduced in the Nintendo DS version to take advantage of gameplay elements using the handheld's touchscreen and not available in the original Game Boy Advance version.
Development of the game was handled by a team of seven people over the course of ten months. It was directed and written by Shu Takumi, and was originally planned to be a Game Boy Color game about aprivate investigator. The game was designed to be simple, as Takumi wanted it to be easy enough for even his mother to play. While the original version of the game takes place in Japan, the localization is set in the United States; this became an issue when localizing later games, where the Japanese setting was more obvious.
The game has been mostly positively received by critics, who have appreciated its premise, writing, characters and presentation. The game has been a commercial success both in Japan and internationally, with the North American release selling higher than expectations and being hard to find in stores shortly after release. Other media based on the game has been made: a manga series premiered in 2006; a film adaptation of the game, titled Ace Attorney, premiered in 2012; and an anime series adaptation started airing in 2016.
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The Completionist[]
Jirard reviewed Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney for the 176th episode of The Completionist.
Jirard compares the game's story to a serial anime. He praises the game's backgrounds and theming, as well as the sprite-work and writing. He also finds the music masterful, as it makes the dialogue more interesting and engaging.
Jirard admits that the gameplay can take a lot of patience, especially in the investigation segments. However, for him it picks up during the trial portions, since you get the opportunity to unravel the witness' lies.
As a whole, Jirard finds the game easy, due to its linearity and reliance of logic. Despite this, he finds the game incredibly rewarding.
Statistics[]
- 35 Hours of Gameplay
- 4 Cases Solved and 1 Bonus Case Solved
- 94 Pieces of Evidence
- 18 different times Jirard told off Angel for offering food
Trivia[]
- The spin-off show Defend It! is inspired by this game.
- As such, the live action segments take place in Defend It!'s courtroom setting rather than in Jirard's office.
- In this video, Jirard announces that Defend It! will return in September 2016, after months of unexplained hiatus.
- Jirard plays the game on the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy collection for 3DS.