After all these years, the original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is finally making its way to the Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and Steam on April 9, 2019! Whether you’re joining us from the anime or you’re just getting around to playing the game that started the “Objection!” meme, welcome to the world of Ace Attorney! I’m your guide, series localization director Janet Hsu, and if you’re all set, we’ll be on our way!

So what exactly is Ace Attorney all about? Aside from ridiculously pointy-haired lawyers pointing ridiculously, I mean. Well, it’s a little of everything: mystery, comedy, drama, and even tragedy. In Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, you are Phoenix Wright, and along with your assistant Maya Fey, you’ll take on not one, not two, but 14 cases across the first three games of the Ace Attorney series. But you probably already knew all that, right?

Then let’s get into the nitty-gritty, shall we?

 1)       Forget everything you know about real-life law

No lawyer in the real world would play detective and search crime scenes for clues, yet that’s precisely what you and Phoenix will need to get up to. Before each trial, you’ll have one day to investigate your client’s claims, find evidence that will strengthen your case, and talk with witnesses who can fill in the gaps.

  Examining everything is the key to finding clues… and silly banter.

Of course, nothing is easy for our protagonist, as you’ll quickly find out. The police will try to keep you out of their crime scenes, and witnesses will require some finessing before they’re willing to spill the beans.

Presenting people with evidence will sometimes jog their memory and/or loosen their lips.

Behold, the mighty Attorney’s Badge! See how it sparkles in the light!

Oftentimes, the crime scene isn’t the only location you’ll have to visit in your quest for the truth. Plus, you’ll definitely want to speak with your client down at the detention center. Thankfully, getting around town in this game world is instantaneous!

Once you’ve gathered all you can, it’s time to go home and rest up for the next day’s trial….

2)       Seriously, forget everything you know about real-life law

 

Just as no lawyer yells “Objection!” nearly as much in real life, the witnesses you’ll cross-examine get more chances to correct themselves than me and Ctrl-Z. After opening statements and an overview of the case, you’ll be given a chance to listen witnesses and cross-examine them. The key to victory is to listen carefully to each statement and compare what the witness is saying against the evidence in the Court Record.

If something seems off, it’s up to you to present your evidence and point out the contradiction.

Slowly, a picture of what actually happened will begin to take form, and you’ll begin to see who really committed the crime. Use the evidence you gathered and your deductive reasoning to nail the culprit and bring them to justice!

You believed in your client to the very end, right? Of course you did!

While this all seems very easy, if the judge decides that there just isn’t enough to convince him of your client’s guilt, or if new questions were raised during the trial that warrant looking into, he may decide to extend the trial by another day. In that case, you’ll get the chance to spend the rest of the day following up on any new leads you’ve uncovered or re-interview witnesses. Make good use of this extra day to do everything you can to shore up your case!

3)       Remember to enjoy yourself

The colorful world of Ace Attorney is filled with amazing and well-developed characters whose complex stories and interactions are guaranteed to spark joy. Here are just a few you’ll meet:

Phoenix Wright

A newly minted lawyer just starting to learn the ropes, his sense of justice and faith in his clients is second to none.

Mia Fey

Phoenix’s mentor and boss at Fey & Co. Law Offices. A real go-getter in her youth, she remains as dogged as ever in her search for the truth.

Maya Fey

Mia’s younger sister and Phoenix’s assistant, Maya loves hamburgers and teasing Phoenix over anything she can. She’s training to become a powerful spirit medium, but she’s not quite there yet.

Detective Gumshoe

A detective with the local precinct, he is a lovable lunk with a heart of gold. Sure, he’s working for the opposition, but he also leaks info like a runny faucet. A true friend indeed.

Miles Edgeworth

Cool as ice on the outside, an intense desire to bring all criminals to justice burns deep within his heart. Some might say it burns abnormally so, but he has his own reasons for wanting to see them behind bars.

Franziska von Karma

Following in the footsteps of her famous father, Franziska will do anything to show the world that she is as great as the legendary Manfred von Karma, including whipping you. Literally.

Godot

“A masked prosecutor?” you might ask yourself, but as he would say, “No matter the man, we all wear masks… Either on our faces or over our hearts.” No one seems to know much about the man known as Godot, but one thing is for certain: you can’t wait around for him to give you a straight answer — you have to find it for yourself.

In addition to the cast of characters, we’ve made it easier than ever for you to play as you wish with these new options and other quality of life features!

 

• Start playing from whichever game you’d like!

• More save slots! Ten for each language, in fact!

• And glorious, glorious options!

• We’ve also made sure to let you know what you’ve already checked with a convenient checkmark (✔)!

Hooray! No more, “What in the world did I forget to check this time???”

 • And for Switch players, you can play whole game using just the touch screen!

Manipulate the evidence as you wish. Just be careful about leaving your fingerprints on it!

Now that you’ve been armed with the basics, I hope to see you in court on April 9 ^th ! In the meantime, this is just the first blog in a series, so I’ll be back at a later date for some more fun.

Until then!