Ever since the induction of Norimaro and Mecha Zangief in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, the “Versus” series has striven to shock and confuse fans with its bizarre character rosters. Throughout the years, we’ve seen the inclusion of some very interesting characters, from obscure palette swaps like USAgent and Dark Sakura to characters who seem wholly unsuited for fighting games, like Roll, the Servbots, and Arthur. 

Norimaro, the precedent-setter.

For the most part, however, even these odd characters come from games that at least have combat in them. In that sense, I suppose Phoenix Wright is special. As an (ace) attorney at law, Phoenix has typically settled his disputes in the courtroom, using the power of words, hard evidence, and justice as his only weapons. Amusingly, the creators of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 have gone to great lengths to ensure that Wright’s portrayal in this game–a game inherently about settling disputes through physical violence, mind you–will remain faithful to his true character. 

Warning: Content may be objectionable to some. 

To give some background, Phoenix Wright is the righteous lawyer and hero of several of the Ace Attorney games which graced the Gameboy Advance and DS over the last ten years. Idealistic and determined, he was once described by his late mentor, Mia Fey, as “one of those ‘strike fear in the hearts of evil’ types.” The Ace Attorney games themselves were essentially graphic adventures, a genre still prevalent in Japan today. As Phoenix Wright, you would visit crime scenes and other locations of interest, question witnesses, and then present evidence and arguments in a court of law. The court scenes were famously dramatic and tense, with lots of sudden turnarounds (hence the Japanese title “Gyakuten Saiban”–meaning something to the effect of “Dramatic Turnaround Trial”). Check out this dramatic excerpt from his very first case.  

Of course, it’s impossible to talk about Phoenix Wright without also mentioning his assistant, Maya Fey. The younger sister of Wright’s aforementioned mentor Mia, Maya is spunky and a bit naïve, but provides much-needed moral support, and also can, um. . . summon ghosts. Yes, having trained as a spirit medium, Maya eventually gains the ability to even channel her own deceased sister, for the good of the case. Luckily, she’ll be coming along for the ride in UMvC3, lending her wits and her fists to the battle. 

Maya is back and ready to flail her arms desperately at superheroes.

By and by, Phoenix Wright was replaced by new protagonists Apollo Justice and Miles Edgeworth, but he remains iconic and representative of the entire Ace Attorney franchise. Though certainly no veteran to the fighting game scene, he nevertheless promises to be one of the most entertaining additions to the roster. Just check out this video of him laying down the guilt on Sentinel.

I could watch this on continuous loop for several days. 

And of course, your full character vignette: