Operation: Objection!

Ace Attorney is a niche series. Many people have never heard of it (though main character Phoenix Wright may have made some waves when he appeared as a fighter in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3), and when someone is told about it, they frequently react with, “Why on Earth would I want to play a game about a lawyer?”

Objection!

Believe it or not, almost everyone who has gotten beyond that point and picked the game up is blown away by it. Lawyers have never been this much fun!

The controls are simple, either pointing and clicking with the DS stylus, or using the directional pad to navigate around the screen. Each game is split into separate cases, each of which (with the exception of the first case, as it is always a tutorial) has investigation sections, in which you search for clues and evidence, and trial sections, in which you question witnesses, search for and point out contradictions, and solve the mystery. The fifth game in the series, the spin-off Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, is the exception, as it lacks trials but retains cases, confrontations, and much of the gameplay involved in trial sections.

The plots and the excellent localizations really draw the player in. In the first three games, you control defense attorney Phoenix Wright, in the fourth, defense attorney Apollo Justice, and in the fifth, prosecutor Miles Edgeworth. All of the games have stories that are exciting both in terms of the individual cases and the overarching plots, and humor is spread throughout. From ridiculous puns, to running jokes, to great lines, Ace Attorney is a much funnier series than one might imagine from the premise.

All of these things mean that the games have an enthusiastic and devoted fanbase. This fanbase was devastated when the news came out that the spin-off’s sequel, Ace Attorney Investigations 2, would not be localized. Many fans, therefore, would never get to play it. Since then, fans have created petitions, formed groups, and pleaded with Capcom to change their minds and let us buy this wonderful game. One such group is Operation: Objection! Based on the success of Operation Rainfall, Operation: Objection! hopes to succeed in getting Investigations 2 localized. As it currently stands, news on localization has been changed from “no” to “an open discussion point.” This is progress, but we aren’t there yet.

If you’ve never played the Ace Attorney series, give it a try. The five games released outside of Japan (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice for All, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, and Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth) are all available for the Nintendo DS, and of course can be played on the 3DS as well, due to backwards compatibility. The first three games are also available as WiiWare. Finally, the first game is also available on iOS.

(Update: Since the time of this posting, the entire first trilogy was also released on iOS, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies was released on 3DS and iOS, and a crossover with Professor Layton came out.)

If you’re already a fan, spread the word! Make the fanbase grow, and let other fans know about the localization issue. Support the series, and let Capcom see that we will support Investigations 2 if–no, when–it is localized.

Update: Two years later, our efforts haven’t ceased.