Ace Attorney

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Ace Attorney (called Gyakuten Saiban in Japan) is a series of text-adventure video games created by Shu Takumi and published by Capcom for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS handheld systems. These games follow defense attorneys Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice and others in their battles in the courtroom and their investigations of crime scenes. Currently, the series consists of four released games. Three of them feature Phoenix Wright as the defense attorney, and the fourth follows Apollo Justice. A spin-off, Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, features Miles Edgeworth. A fifth installment to the core series is purportedly in development.

[edit] Setting

The game takes place in an urban city set in 2016 and later; for the Japanese versions, this city is somewhere in Japan, while the English localization places the games in Los Angeles, California. Localization differences sometimes reflect the differences between these societies, for example the side of a car the driver's wheel is on. Additionally, the names of the major characters have been adapted for localization; for example, the main character "Ryuichi Naruhodo", whose last name is a pun on the Japanese phrase for "I see", has been renamed in the Western versions as "Phoenix Wright", referencing the phoenix that rises from its own ashes, and a pun on the word "right".

The courtroom proceedings are based on the Japanese legal system; when a person is accused of a crime, he or she is immediately given a bench trial presided by a judge, a prosecuting attorney from the state, and a defense attorney that must completely prove the accused innocent of the crime. Trials last three days at most, due to the large number of cases that the courts must deal with; if the accused cannot be found innocent after this time, his or her case is consigned to a higher court, usually a month later. The defense attorney must cross-examine the witnesses that the prosecution brings forth to find contradictions in the testimony to clear his or her client. During one episode, an option for a jury trial is also established.

[edit] Gameplay

Main category: Gameplay

Phoenix Wright issues an objection at the witness during a court case; the "Objection!" speech balloon has become an iconic element of the series

The Ace Attorney games are primarily adventure games, though they require the player to collect evidence and to present it to the witnesses in court. The game is presented primarily using animated two-dimensional manga-like sprites, with text dialog, sound effects, and minimal spoken clips to simulate speech.

There are two phases to each case: investigation and trial sessions. Investigation includes the ability to visit several key locations in the case and talk to people involved with it while searching for evidence by examining the scene; the second and third game introduces the "Psyche-Lock," a system through which the defending attorney can break mental barriers to learn the truth from uncooperative witnesses during investigations. Players can present both evidence and, in the second and third games (but not the fourth game), profiles of people involved with the case.

Trial sessions are generally made up of testimonies consisting of statements by witnesses. The player generally cross-examines the witness to locate a contradiction by showing a piece of evidence that relates to what the witness has testified. The player may also "press" the witness, asking the witness to clarify a statement. Sometimes pressing and presenting evidence will lead to additional statements added to the testimony. Presenting evidence successfully may also lead to new lines of testimony altogether and it is almost always the only way to proceed in the game. The fourth game introduces the Perceive system, which is active during some cross-examinations. During testimony, the player can use his bracelet to look closely at body language and actions that trigger when the witnesses states something untruthful (for example, their hands may twitch or they may swallow), and thus force the witnesses to respond truthfully.

The ultimate goal in the courtroom is to have a "not guilty" verdict handed down to the defendant. Often however, the player is only able to delay the case until the next day. This gives the player more time to investigate the crime. Generally, the player must determine who the true perpetrator of the crime is in order to absolve the defendant of guilt.

Presenting evidence is accompanied by the defense attorney pointing with his finger, as in the game's logo, and shouting "Objection!" (異議あり!, Igi ari!), accompanied by a word bubble of the same word, both of which have become iconic representations of the series. If the player presents the wrong evidence, attempts to present at the wrong time, or fails in other parts of in-court questioning, they lose some measure of acceptance by the judge, and if the player is wrong too many times, the case will be terminated with a guilty verdict for the accused, and the player will have to restart from his/her last save point or the beginning of the court session.

Each game is made up of four or five episodes; the games and episodes have some interconnection, recurring minor characters and similar crime elements.

[edit] Nintendo DS gameplay

In the DS remakes, the game utilizes the touchscreen and microphone in addition to, and as an alternative to, the normal controls, allowing the player to shout "Objection!", "Hold it!", "Take that!", or "Gotcha!" at the appropriate times. The remake of the first game for the DS includes a brand new fifth case created specifically for the remake, with additional aspects of gameplay that fully used the special features on the DS; for example, one can dust for fingerprints by tapping the screen to apply fingerprinting powder, then blowing at the DS microphone gently to blow the powder away. The player can also use the 3D capabilities of the DS to render the collected evidence; key details concerning the evidence are often revealed this way. The fourth game of the series, which is the first game developed completely for the DS without a prior GBA release, also includes a number of these elements.

[edit] Real-life basis of the court system

The courtroom procedure presented in the games is based on the inquisitive system of Japan and other civil law countries rather than the adversarial system of common law countries. In the inquisitive system, a judge acts as the inquisitor who determines the outcome of the trial. For this reason, the court proceedings much more closely resemble a debating contest. For example, in the Japanese version, the attorneys shout "Igiari!", which means "I disagree!", and this usually involves a display of evidence to counter the argument of the prosecutor. In the common law, adversarial system, an objection is generally used to prevent a witness from testifying or answering a question that the attorney believes prejudices the jury's judgment. An objection in the adversarial system can attack the question being asked of the witness if it disobeys a defined set of rules (for example, asking the witness to speculate, badgering, and asking a leading question are not allowed). Objections may also be used to refute evidence if it is not legally admissible. In the inquisitive system, the judge acts as the jury; therefore, there is no point in preventing witnesses from testifying or answering a question. This does not mean that illegally obtained evidence is allowed to determine the outcome; rather, the judge will exclude such evidence before arriving at the verdict. This is achieved in the inquisitive system by the judge not only in presenting the judgment but also in providing a written justification for the verdict. In the inquisitive system, the judge can ask any question to the defense, the accused, the prosecutors or any witness. Moreover, in the inquisitive system, there is no concept of plea, meaning that theoretically, the judge could declare a not guilty verdict even if the defendant had plead guilty, as in Rise from the Ashes.

[edit] Other observations about the Ace Attorney court system

Although perjury is stated to be a crime, its illegality appears not to apply very strictly to the Ace Attorney court system. The vast majority of witnesses lie outright and repeatedly to the court, and receive little more than an admonishment by the judge to revise their testimony (though it is worth noting that at least one witness in the series is told that he would be later charged with perjury). Additionally, though the charge of contempt of court does appear in an incident in the first game in the series, in all but this singular incident, contempt of court, as well as assault and battery, go largely unpunished, especially in the case of prosecuting attorney Franziska von Karma, who wields a whip and constantly uses it against other attorneys, police officers, the witnesses, and even the judge, all while court is in session. This is for dramatic exaggeration of the game and is not part of the Japanese legal system.

[edit] Games

The Ace Attorney series began as trilogy of Game Boy Advance titles released only in Japan from 2001 to 2004. The Game Boy Advance versions were not imported or translated. In 2005, the original title, Gyakuten Saiban, was ported to the Nintendo DS as Gyakuten Saiban: Yomigaeru Gyakuten (Turnabout Courtroom: Turnabout Rebirth). When the two sequels were ported to the DS in Japan, it included both the original Japanese and an English localization, making the game a popular import title. In October 2005, the English localization was turned into the North American version of the game, and European editions followed.

[edit] Phoenix Wright trilogy

The Phoenix Wright games were originally released only in Japan for the Game Boy Advance from 2001 to 2004. They were ported to the Nintendo DS as well as localized into English beginning in 2005.

In the first three games, the playable character is Phoenix Wright. Assisting him are Maya Fey and, later, her cousin Pearl Fey; as members of the Fey clan, they have the ability to channel spirits, which sometimes allows them to channel the spirit of Maya's sister Mia Fey to help Phoenix in court.

[edit] Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Main article: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

The GBA Gyakuten Saiban was originally released in 2001, with the Japanese and English DS ports released in 2005. The game's story introduces Phoenix Wright, Mia and Maya Fey, and Miles Edgeworth, along with other minor characters that reappear in later games. The original GBA game contained four cases; a special fifth case named Rise from the Ashes was made for the DS version that utilized additional investigation techniques that relied on the features of the DS, such as the microphone and touchscreen.

In this game, Phoenix Wright is a rookie lawyer fresh out of law school, taking a position at Fey & Co. Law Offices run by Mia Fey, a defense attorney who helped to acquit Phoenix of murder several years prior to the events of the first game. When Mia is murdered, Phoenix takes over the offices with the assistance of Maya Fey, Mia's younger sister, and renames the office "Wright & Co. Law Offices". Phoenix develops a rivalry with prosecuting attorney Miles Edgeworth as they oppose each other in court.

[edit] Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice For All

Main article: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice For All

The second game was released on the GBA in Japan in 2002, and on the DS in 2006 and 2007. The game contains four cases, in both the Advance and DS versions, and takes place about a year after the events of first game. It introduces the characters of Pearl Fey, the younger cousin of the Fey sisters, and Franziska von Karma, daughter of Manfred.

Phoenix's victories over Edgeworth and Manfred von Karma in the last game introduce another prosecutor to combat Phoenix in court, Franziska von Karma, who is determined to succeed where Edgeworth and her father failed, and win against him in court.

[edit] Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations

Main article: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations

The third game was released on the GBA in Japan in 2004, with Japanese and English DS ports following in 2007. The game mostly takes place roughly a year after the previous game and includes many characters from both previous games, and also allows the player to play two cases in the past as Mia Fey. There are five cases total within the game.

In this game, Phoenix's main rival in court is Godot, a mysterious prosecutor who holds some kind of grudge against him. More info related to Phoenix, Mia and other members of the Fey family is unveiled, intertwining with the events from the previous games until the last case, which closes the Phoenix Wright chapters of the Ace Attorney series.

[edit] Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

Main article: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

The fourth game was released in Japan in April 2007 and in North America on February 19, 2008. It is the first installment to be developed specifically for the Nintendo DS. The title was localized in America and other territories as Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, reflecting the change of the main character from Phoenix Wright to Apollo Justice (Housuke Odoroki (王泥喜 法介, Odoroki Hōsuke?). The game features four cases.

This game shifts to seven years after the first three games. Phoenix, having been disbarred for using falsified evidence, has become a piano player, adopted a young magician named Trucy, and has transformed the office to the "Wright Talent Agency". When he is accused of murder, he spies the upcoming defense attorney Apollo Justice and has him defend him as well as hiring him into the agency, forcing it to be renamed "Wright Anything Agency". While Apollo and Trucy handle cases, Phoenix still works with ties to the justice system to implement changes that will help improve the courts, including the introduction of a "Jurist System" that leaves the decision of guilt or innocence to a six-panel jury, while investigating the remaining mysteries involving his last case seven years before.

[edit] Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth

Main article: Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth

A project codenamed New Gyakuten Not Saiban (NEW逆転 NOT裁判, New Gyakuten Not Saiban? "NEW Turnabout, NOT Trial") was announced by Capcom in February 2008. In the April 2008 issue of Famitsu, it was revealed to be Gyakuten Kenji (逆転検事, Gyakuten Kenji? Turnabout Prosecutor), a spinoff Nintendo DS game starring prosecutor Miles Edgeworth and detective Dick Gumshoe. The investigation portions are presented using a third-person camera view. The game takes place before and after the events of Gyakuten Saiban 3. The game was released on May 28, 2009 in Japan.

[edit] Gyakuten Saiban 5

Main article: Gyakuten Saiban 5

This next installment in the Ace Attorney series was announced by Capcom's president on May 22, 2007 with no further details.

[edit] PC versions

Daletto and Capcom partnered to bring the first three games to Microsoft Windows as episodic content in Japan; the first game, for example, is broken into 17 episodes and only includes the original four chapters from the first game. The games were released between March and May 2008. At the present time, Capcom has not announced plans to bring these to other regions.

[edit] Reception

[edit] Critical reception

The Western releases of the games have garnered generally favorable reviews by the gaming press. The series has generally been praised for being a strong adventure game in an otherwise lacking market, having great presentation, music, and dialog, while at the same time being criticized for being too linear and lacking replayability and evolution among the series' installments. The representation of the legal system in the games has been noted to be significantly flawed relative to the American legal system; GameSpot's review of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney noted that during courtroom sessions, one should "suspend your disbelief about the whole procedure, since, although it feels fairly close to reality, many things go on during the proceedings that would probably horrify actual members of the legal system." Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All also received negative comments due to the lack of the unique DS features introduced in the first game. Issue 22 of (N)Gamer noted that the series as a whole sometimes features "odd leaps in logic" that turns the game into a trial-and-error procedure.

[edit] Popularity

In Japan, the series has performed reasonably well, with the combined sales (both GBA and DS) of the first two games around 400,000 units, and the third game, only considering GBA sales, nearing 250,000 units. The fourth game sold 160,000 copies on the day of release in Japan, with a total of 250,000 units moved during the first week of release.

In the United States, the first game became surprisingly successful, forcing Capcom to prepare at least three additional runs of the game to meet the demand. Part of this was due to initially low expectations from retailers such as Wal-Mart and Toys "R" Us who passed on the game; Capcom had produced nine to ten runs of three-to-four thousand units before Toys "R" Us requested 15,000 copies.

As of June 2008, Capcom has stated that the series, spanning 12 games, has sold more than three million units worldwide, and is tied with Breath of Fire as its 11th best selling series of all time.

Various engines for fan games based on the Ace Attorney concept are available, such as PWLib and Ace Attorney Online.

[edit] Music

Main category: Category:Music

The official soundtrack for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney was first published by Suleputer on November 30, 2005.^[1] The soundtracks of the second and third game have also been released.^[2][3]

Capcom has also released an album entitled Gyakuten Saiban Orchestra Album: Gyakuten Meets Orchestra with orchestral arrangements of many of the songs used in the game and its two sequels on September 9, 2006. A second CD with additional Ace Attorney orchestral pieces was released for sale at the Tokyo Game Show 2006, and was sold to the public later that year. On March 31, 2007, Capcom released an official jazz arrangement album named Gyakuten Saiban Jazz Album: Gyakuten Meets Jazz.^[4] The CDs were originally scheduled for Japanese release only,^[5][6] but since, it has been announced that they will be released in North America as well.^[7]

The video game music arrangement circle Magical Trick Society^[8] has released an album with arrangements of songs from Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, called Cadenza: Gyakuten Saiban 1.

On April 20, 2008, a live concert for the music in Ace Attorney was held, and on July 16, 2008, a recording of this soundtrack was put out, under the name of Gyakuten Saiban Tokubetsu Houtei 2008.

Capcom Japan is working in conjunction with Takarazuka Revue to create a live musical performance for the Ace Attorney games to be presented in February 2009. It will be called Gyakuten Saiban −Yomigaeru Shinjitsu− (逆転裁判 −蘇る真実 lit. "Turnabout Trial -Truth Resurrected-"), and it will star Cosmos Troupe's Tomu Ranju in the lead role.

[edit] Other media

U.S manga publisher Del Rey Manga is distributing in the United States a manga adaptation of the video game series that is currently being serialized in Japan. The adaptation is written by Kenji Kuroda and illustrated by Kazuo Maekawa and published by Kodansha.

[edit] References

1. ↑ Chudah's Corner - Gyakuten Saiban ~Yomigaeru Gyakuten~ Original Soundtrack
2. ↑ Chudah's Corner - Gyakuten Saiban 1 & 2 Original Soundtrack
3. ↑ Chudah's Corner - Gyakuten Saiban 3 Original Soundtrack
4. ↑ たのみこむ「逆転裁判」
5. ↑ <references/>o.jp/gyakutensaiban/topics/060818orchestra/index.html 逆転裁判シリーズ公式サイト
6. ↑ GAF - News - Phoenix Wright leaves courtroom, enters orchestra
7. ↑ News: Two Official Soundtracks On the Way! - Capcom BBS
8. ↑ Magical Trick Society -HOME

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