Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Review (Gyakuten Saiban Yomigaeru Gyakutan)

Written by WillBillVista on

April 14, 2007

(Note: To Phoenix Wright fans and veterans; there are quite a few jokes and references to the series in this review so even you already know all about the game, go ahead and read this review anyways)

INTRODUCTION

Before I start, there is one thing I must stress more than any other fact I ever pressured on before: this game is not for everyone. Phoenix Wright in my opinion is quite simply the best game released for Nintendo DS and perhaps will always will be, but it may not be the same thing for your case. Right off the bat, you might have noticed my writing style is drastically different from usual, as my writing style is usually limited to only third or second points of views. However this time around, to show how this game will appeal to many but not all, I must change my style. This is to show that this is all MY OPINION and may not or may not reflect what you think. It will become very clear within this review that Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney falls directly into the center of the dubious “Love it or Hate it” types of games. I don’t see how anyone could possibly disagree.

JUDGE: Court is now is session for the judgment of Gyakuten Saiban Yomigaeru Gyakuten

Edgey: The prosecution is ready your honor

Wright: The defense is ready as well

Judge: Prosecutor, your opening statement please?

Edgey: Today, Gyakuten Saiben Yomigaeru Gyakuten, AKA Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, will be judged and given a verdict on a 10 point scale. The prosecution wishes to prove the flaws in game and show that it just might not be completely worth the person reading this review’s time

Wright: (but it isn’t a bad game! How it is that he didn’t like the remake of an already spectacular classic!?)

Judge: Very well, you may call your first reviewer

Edgey: The prosecution will call “me” to the stand.

Wright: (What the hell is this? A court of flaw? Is this even allowed?!!?!!)

Judge: Your…Yourself? Intriguing! Take the stand!

TESTIMONY: Well it all started with the TGS 2005 promotional video when I was forced to go out and buy Yomigaeru Gyakuten. However I soon realized it was nothing more than a mere rehash and I wasted my money. It is the same exact game! Besides, the touch screen functionality wasn’t that great.

Mr. Edgeworth, your statement is clearly a contradiction! The DS contains an EXTRA trial that takes advantage of the DS features. And what do you mean the touch-screen functionality wasn’t that great? It is certainly better than buttons. Let’s take a look at your DS shall we? Look! The Touch screen is broken and isn’t functioning!

GACK! OBJECTION! THAT WAS….objectionable…..

Wright: Well if you can’t think of anything to object about, perhaps an “expert” on the game should give you the whole scoop on the title.

GAMEPLAY

            I hate to treat something that seems opinionated like fact but it is true; the touch screen adds a lot of functionality to Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney. To understand this whole concept, it is necessary to know that Phoenix Wright is actually an enhanced remake of a GBA game from Japan called Gyakuten Saiben, or in English that is Comeback Courtroom. However the name isn’t significant here, what is significant are the enhancements to the original title from 2001.

            The whole idea of this concept as you can clearly see is that it is a courtroom game. You play as Phoenix Wright, a rookie Defense Attorney who lacks only experience. As the player, you must solve the game’s five trials and become an Ace Attorney. It sounds like a very odd idea for a game. I personally didn’t know what the heck it was supposed to be when I first heard of it. It just didn’t seem like an effective game idea to me, but that proved to be very wrong when I actually played it.

            The game’s two main varieties of gameplay revolve around two main aspects of the game: the investigation and trial. Before a trial begins, it is necessary to investigate the crime scene and talk to witnesses or other people involved with the case. Investigating is done through “Point and Click” styled play. You are given 4 options: Present, Talk, Move, and Examine. The “Present” function allows you to show people at the scenes evidence. They might recognize something and you can get valuable information out of them. “Talk” should be obvious as it allows you to talk to any people if they are present. Examining the scenes allows you to move and point a cursor with the touch screen (though it can be done with the D-pad).

            The “move” function is one of my ONLY gripes that affect the entire game. The concept is that a list of locations and scenes to move to while investigating. However the problem is that it feels too much like a chore to constantly move around. Oh well, It is better than a map screen since everything is clear and moving a cursor isn’t necessary. The issue can be overlooked with the pros to the investigation part.

             I personally enjoy investigating and examining the areas but there is a little thing I have to (though hate to) nitpick about. The areas however are completely static and not very interactive. However considering this was originally a GBA game; it would be hard to not make it static.

            The extra trial that specifically designed for this remake makes up for this issue with Nintendo DS functionality. For example, you get to check fingerprints with Power and blow into the DS microphone to get the dust off; then you select someone to compare prints to. Pieces of evidence are 3D rendered in this case as well, and can be examined from all sides. The little bits and pieces of DS Functionality go further, but I don’t want to spoil them all for you. Having a spare case that takes advantage of the DS’s capabilities was more than a smart idea; it even played part in the even BETTER part of the game: The Trials.

            Once the investigation ends, you will be brought into the trial portion of the game. Don’t worry though; you can’t stop the investigation until you find ALL of the evidence. The trials are absolutely dramatic, intriguing, and even funny. The back of the box wasn’t lying; these are some of the most bizarre trials ever conceived. Not even CSI or Law and Order can hold a cake up to the insanity and charm of the trials.

             There is something I don’t think I have stressed, and this goes back to the “not for everyone” statement. This game has a LOT of reading. There is not a second of voice acting in the game (unless you could count screaming “objection!” into the microphone voice acting). This is all text, and if you hate reading, you will detest this game. Then again, if you have read this far into this text-heavy review, you probably can manage a graphic-based text review.

            There however is more that divides the game between the categories known as “love it or hate it”: Logic. What is important to remember is that you play as a Defense Attorney and not a Prosecutor (you didn’t forget that detail did you?). The job of this type of Attorney is to Cross-Examine a Witness’s testimony and point out CONTRADICTIONS! That “mini-comic” at the beginning of the review (as I like to call it) was a parody of the game (I love it, so what do sarcastic people naturally do? =P) You listen to a witness; press them for more information, figure out lies and contradiction in their testimonies from the evidence, and then “OBJECT!” to their testimony, all in over-the top anime style (yes I am a damn nerd, stop looking at me). One minor addition to the game is voice functionality: You can yell statements like Objection, Hold It! (do this during Cross Examination of a Testimony to get more information from a witness by questioning) and Take That! (This is how you will be presenting evidence to the judge) This might not sound interesting in theory but the sharp writing keeps it from becoming boring. That would bring the game to its biggest strength (yet biggest flaw for some people. I’ll talk about that later)

GAMEPLAY: 9.8/10

Judge: So, there is more to this game than you thought Prosecutor.

Edgey: But….but….how am I supposed to get far with a defective DS and playing a game that is the same thing?!

Wright: Mr. Edgeworth let me take you back to a previous testimony from the TGS 2005 promotional trailer. You clearly stated “I have Gyakuten Saiben and play it frequently.” So that means….

…..You don’t get tired of doing the same stuff over and over again! After all….the one who gets into that game’s story will surly be sucked into the game. The defense requests that Mr. Vista gets back to the stand and tells the court about the story.

Vista: Hold on, I’m on the slopes. I don’t want to go swimming, especially not with Damon Gant! He asked me to go swimming but I ditched him and I’m……

AHHHHHHH!!!!!! My freaking leg! Uh oh! Daman Gant just spotted me. Wait, I can’t go swimming now Gant! See you later!

Well I’m glad I got away, hope he didn’t notice I clearly wasn’t injured…OH! Yeah, about the review; I will kindly testify again your honor.

STORY

            The real reason I recommend this game is because it is different from most games. While graphic-text based games have existed for years, the presentation values of this particular title are through the roof. This is simply the best story ever told in a videogame ever; or maybe I should say best stories? Recall that there are five different trials in the game. Each trial has a different premise and plot to it so in that sense; the game is more like a series of episodes in something such as a Manga or Graphic Novel Series. In fact, I would go as far to say the entire game is an interactive series of Murder Mystery stories. The whole game is like a good book with individual murder stories: just one of them is enough to keep you hooked due to the sharp writing.

            At the same time, every trial in the game is related to each other through some truly bizarre by a well thought out event called “Trial DL-6.” I won’t give anything away other than since I don’t want to spoil anything. However this trial is truly a smart way to link everything together. When you complete the 4^th Trial in the game (which was the last trial in the original GBA version) everything will become very clear and everything will make clear sense. The only trial that isn’t linked in the fifth and last trial, titled “Rise from the Ashes.” As I said, this was specifically added to the DS Remake, so of course adding an extra trial in no easy task. It isn’t really connected directly by events. Rather, the story connects it by coincidences. I must stop there, as any more information would truly be a spoiler. After all, this is the game’s biggest strength, and to let it unfold within the game is truly something special.

            A good story would be nothing without good characters. Thankfully, the game is overflowing with quirky and interesting characters. One thing I am a particular fan of is Gag Named Characters. Just about every character name in the game has some sort of clever pun to it. Look at names such as “Miles Edgeworth, April May, Marvin Grossburg, Manfred Von Karma, Wendy Oldbag, or Larry Butz (ROFL! Look closely at that one!). As you can see, these banes all have some sort of pun to them that either describes the character or is a clever pun. Though some aren’t clear the moment you see them, they all are extremely clever and are very fitting.

            The Localization team did a great job with the translation, as it would be very hard to localize a game like this. Capcom’s Localization Team pulled off the impossible: Making a game based around everything possibly Japanese and making it work for the North American and European releases. A few things have changed to fit such as characters from the original GBA release in Japan. However they aren’t gigantic enough for the actual story to have a large impact. That isn’t to say there aren’t some translation problems, because there are. For one, there are some grammatical errors in the game that are quite clear. Fortunately, nothing will go down in history on “All Your Base” proportions. The errors are just normal grammatical errors and don’t effect the plot. Also, the localization team did have to change some things that didn’t need to be changed if they had just stuck the game in America. There is clearly Japanese imagery (and I did spot some Kana in a few locations) in the locales so in some ways they tried a little too hard to Americanize the game. Nerveless, I have to give an ovation to the translators for preserving the style of the original Gyakuten Saiban game.

            For a game that is about Murder trials, you might be surprised at the large amount of comic relief in the game. This is simply a hilarious game. If you have ever watched an anime, you know that the characters usually have exaggerated expressions and bizarre character designs through the show. That would be the case in Phoenix Wright, and the clever dialogue adds even more to the humor.

            The game is very Satirical of the court system, as it constantly parodies and makes fun of it. For example the Prosecutor, Edgeworth, can never seem to get his Witnesses to state their name and occupation without yelling at them, the prosecution and police department don’t want to give Phoenix their evidence and he is forced to investigate the scenes of the crimes himself, and the judge can be naïve at times and often week with flirty female witnesses. The satire never ceases, and it adds even more to the comic relief of the game.

            One important detail I feel that should be taken into consideration is that the writing makes the game so good and memorable. Writing will make it or break it for a game that is heavily text. The game is more than fortunate to have been written so well and localized just as well. Without the great writing and spectacular stories, this would have been one of the most boring games in years. But it is instead the contrary; the plot is thick and well written, the characters are cool, and perhaps most importantly, it keeps you glued to the game. I didn’t want to put the game down because everything was so interesting. However keep in mind if you are looking for something very dramatic, you will be more than disappointed. Play the game, and enjoy the fabulous story.

STORY: 10/10

Judge: The defense has a valid point; the story and writing of the game make up a spectacular title

Edgey: Yes your honor…BUT we have a reviewer who LOVES games such as RPGS, Text Based Games, and novels…yet he hated the game.

Phoenix: What!?

Judge: What….what is this? A person whom enjoys this type of game and hates it?

Edgey: Precisely your honor. Will Mr. Ted Nickel take the stand? Good, now please state your name and occupation

Nickel: The name is GRAPHSGRIDS101, Global Moderator at the PC TECH forums

Edgey: REAL NAME AND REAL OCUPATION! NOW!

Nickel: My name is Ted Nickel; I’m a PC technician and PC repairman.

Edgey: The prosecution requests that you testify to what you hate about Gyakuten Saiban Yomigaeru Gyakuten.

Nickel: I heard about the game and decided a good lengthy adventure game would be worth my time for my Nintendo DS. However when I played it, I found out to my horror the game sucked! Everything was horribly dated. The Music, Graphics, and even some of the gameplay all have clearly aged.

Judge: The Cross Examination may begin

Nickel: Nickel: I heard about the game and decided a good lengthy adventure game would be worth my time for my Nintendo DS.

Phoenix: Where did hear it was a lengthy adventure game?

Nickel: Gamespot of course, I trust them to get their review scores right

Nickel: However when I played it, I found out to my horror the game sucked! Everything was horribly dated.

Phoenix: Dated?

Nickel: Yes, dated!

Nickel: The Music, Graphics, and even some of the gameplay all have clearly aged. They haven’t even been given a touch up from the original GBA version of Gyakuten Saiban!

Phoenix: Mr. Nickel, your statement directly contradicts this summery of the game. Take a look at this:

It clearly states here two crucial contradictions: (1) the music has been updated and sounds much cleaner and more modern than the original Gyakuten Saiban soundtrack. (2) The DS version of the game includes a brand new trial that contains 3D modeled evidence, cel-shaded characters, and new DS specific features that take advantage of the touch screen and microphone. Explain this Mr. Nickel

Hobody! Uh oh! Ummm….ugggg…..heh heh. Oh fine! I haven’t even played the game. I just judged the game based on its cover. I lied to court because I thought I would get some friends if I testified in court

Edgey: (What?! This can’t be happening!)

Phoenix: (Like it would help you at all?)

Judge: I’m sorry Mr. Nickel but I’m afraid you will have to be removed from the court for Perjury. What does the Defense’s reviewer have to say about the technical matters of the game?

Vista: It is simple your honor, the graphics and sound my not be the best from a technical standpoint but they are far from terrible.

            This game may not have the best graphics or sound on Nintendo DS but they indeed at to the game. The graphics consist of animated Manga styled characters against static backgrounds. The whole style reminded me of an Anime, and if you are a fan of the style (like me) you will love the visuals in the game. Even if you don’t like the style, I can say that the reader of this review will most likely like the exaggerated character designs and animations at least. They are completely over the top!

            Mr. Nickel lied about the music! It not only fits the scene but it was indeed updated on the Nintendo DS Version of the game. Just listed to the GBA soundtrack for “Gyakuten Saiban,” and now listed to the soundtrack for Gyakuten Saiban Yomigaeru Gyakuten. As you can clearly listen, the tracks in the GBA version are scratchier and could have easily been rendered on a Famicom/NES. But the DS version has cleaned up the musical score! What really makes the score cool is that is dynamic. Depending on the situation, the music will change and it adds a lot of dynamic feeling and atmosphere to the game. Besides, how could you NOT like yelling objection into the microphone and hearing Phoenix’s voice come out screaming on-screen?

Phoenix: Heh heh

Vista: Don’t look at me like the phoenix, just because your objection is cool, doesn’t mean your hair is good.

Phoenix: Damn!

Vista: I will tell you that I personally liked the style and the music in the game. That is why I am giving the sound a 10 and the graphics a 9. I will admit that some of the backgrounds are ugly….BUT THEY DO NOT EFFECT THE ACTUAL GAME! Whatever happened to the Gameplay over Graphics philosophy? And considering this game is text based, Graphics should be excluded from

(Edgey: Who the hell are the lawyers in this courtroom here?!)

(Phoenix: Has Mr. Vista been taking overdoses of hyperactivity pills?)

Judge: The defense has a point. Clearly this is an excellent remake in every way. And as we all know from the original game, it is one of the best and most fun Gameboy Advance games of all time. The verdict has been reached. This court hereby declares the score for Gyakuten Saiban Yomigaeru Gyakuten

9.6 OUT OF 10 (Buy this game!)

The court is adjourned

Review written by WillBillXP (Vista Yoshi-XP)