Dec 202023
What’s this? An actual official Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright reference, you say?
With the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy coming out in just over a month, Capcom has been releasing a short trailer for each case in the trilogy, narrated by the characters.
We’re now up to the second case in Spirit of Justice, The Magical Turnabout, and the promo video starts by presenting Trucy’s magic show. In it, they mention the spell “Granwyrm.”
Now unless I’ve forgotten an existing reference, Granwyrm is never actually mentioned in Spirit of Justice. No, that’s a reference to one of the much-overlooked Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, in which the spell Granwyrm plays an important role.
Of all the Ace Attorney games, the crossover is the one I least expect to get a remaster. It’s not up to Capcom alone but also Level-5, and even the mainline Professor Layton games haven’t been given the attention Ace Attorney has. Mobile ports of the original trilogy are the only remasters available. Back when the 3DS eShop was open, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright never even went on sale. So despite my growing hopes for an Investigations duology, I really don’t expect to see Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright again.
On the other hand, Capcom also acknowledged the crossover with the 20th anniversary artwork, where a handful of characters were included, so that together with this reference shows they at least aren’t trying to ignore it. And since the Professor Layton series is making a return, the crossover’s chances look marginally better now, at least.
I have such mixed feelings about Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright. Back when I played it, I said it was “almost perfect,” but my dislike for the ending left me remembering it more negatively.
However, I’ve softened toward it since then. My disappointment with Layton’s Mystery Journey made me realize I much prefer insane storytelling with a plot twist that introduces a thousand plot holes but feels like the writers put their whole heart into it, over the dull low-stakes storytelling that took up most of Layton’s Mystery Journey. I want the next Professor Layton plot to go crazy again, and that gave me new appreciation for Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright.
So if it was remastered, I’ve course I’d buy it. I’d love to see it make a return and be easier for new fans to play, since right now the only option is tracking down a physical copy, and prices had skyrocketed even before the 3DS eShop shut down.
Do I think Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney will be remastered? Not really. Would I like it to happen? Absolutely. Either way, it was still nice to see it be officially referenced!
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I went to the Ace Attorney wiki’s transcripts for The Magical Turnabout and “granw” failed ctrl + f. So Granwyrm is original to the commercial.
(You could’ve gaslit me into thinking Spirit of Justice as a game had a reference to it originally.)
Why would I have done that when it being original to the commercial is part of my point that this is specifically a crossover reference?
In an alternate universe where you chose a different path.
Maybe there’s an alternate universe somewhere where I did.