Preorders have been opening up for the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy, with physical Switch copies in North America confirmed.
Digital preorders have finally opened as well.
While I was puzzled before about why so much time passed before they opened preorders, I now wonder if they were waiting to decide about physical preorders first.
But preorders aren’t the only thing Capcom has made available!
Capcom is really putting in an effort to promote and celebrate the series ahead of the Apollo Justice Trilogy’s release, and I’m thrilled about that. I don’t remember promotional efforts like this ahead of the original trilogy’s release.
Between that and the physical preorders, it just further fuels my optimism in Ace Attorney’s future. If they’re giving the series this much attention now, I think we’ll see an Ace Attorney 7 announcement sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, we’ve got some free Ace Attorney content to enjoy!
I’ve been pretty excited for the upcoming release of the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy, but the one disappointing fact was that it seemed to be digital-only in the west again.
However, that might not be completely true anymore.
Yesterday, listings started going live at Canadian retailers for a physical ESRB copy of the Apollo Justice Trilogy for the Switch. VGP even confirmed it and said anyone who preordered the import with them and wants to change to the North American version should get in touch.
So it seems the North American Switch version, at least, will be available as a physical copy. (Amazon Canada listed it as the “Pollo Justice Trilogy”, which is questionable, but everything else seems legitimate.) Other retailers haven’t followed suit yet, but yesterday being Thanksgiving might have something to do with that.
I’m excited about this for several reasons. First, I just like having physical copies of my games. I’m one of those people who preordered the import already since it seemed like it would be digital-only here. Second, since Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice were digital-only 3DS releases, this will be the first time those games are getting a physical release in North America! And third, this bodes well for how Capcom views the series.
I mentioned earlier this year that Ace Attorney’s future looks brighter than ever (or at least brighter than it has been in over a decade). The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles getting a localization and a physical Switch release in North America felt like Capcom had faith in the series, faith rewarded by its excellent sales. The Apollo Justice Trilogy being made at all was already another promising sign, and if it’s getting a physical release in North America, that really suggests Capcom believes it will sell enough to be worth it.
(Though apparently they don’t have that same faith in European and PS4 players, let alone Xbox players.)
This is exciting! I’m more convinced than ever that Capcom will follow through with more Ace Attorney games, such as our long-awaited Ace Attorney 7. In the meantime, I’ll be trying to switch my import preorder to an ESRB copy and keeping an eye on other retailers to see if they’ll list the Apollo Justice Trilogy as well.
Will you be buying a physical release of the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy?
I mentioned it briefly on Friday, but now let’s discuss it in more detail. During Capcom’s TGS showcase, the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy received a January 25 release day.
I almost joked about the possibility in my post about Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth coming out on January 26, right ahead of Granblue Fantasy Relink and Persona 3 Reload, with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth a month later. I almost joked that the Apollo Justice Trilogy’s “early 2024” window would also mean that time frame.
But I didn’t joke about it, because I thought it would be too unlikely. I figured it would be more of an April sort of “early.”
I tuned in to Capcom’s TGS 2023 show not expecting too much and hoping for a release date. Well, not only is the Apollo Justice Trilogy coming out on January 25, but it also looks to be a fantastic collection.
Worried about the DLC cases? They’re included! (Not Asinine Attorney, though; since that wasn’t even in the mobile port, it’s probably lost to time just like The Great Ace Attorney 2’s similar comedy-focused DLC cases.) Wondering if they’d include the Spirit of Justice prologue anime? It’s part of the Art Library! The Orchestra Hall contains 175 tracks! It has the quality-of-life features The Great Ace Attorney got, like dialogue autoplay and Story Mode. And there’s even a new “Animation Studio” feature that lets you choose a background, character, animation, etc. to create your own scene.
It was more exciting than I expected for a trailer about games I’ve already played.
The official website includes details about all of these things and more.
Now, I can’t help it. When I saw that January release date, my thoughts started churning. What if they’re releasing the Apollo Justice Trilogy so early in the year to clear the way for an Ace Attorney 7 announcement later on?
Then I saw someone online suggest that the new illustration unlocked after completing the whole collection could tease Ace Attorney 7. Apparently Capcom did something similar in a Mega Man collection to hint at Mega Man 11. It’s probably not going to be that, but now I can’t let go of the idea. A piece of art unlocked as you beat each game is logical enough, but also an additional one unlocked after you beat all three? That would be a prime spot to include a sequel tease.
So yes, the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is coming out on January 25, right on top of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and I’m now tempted to replay all of them just in case.
Digital preorders have yet to open up despite there being a spot on the website for them, but Play-Asia listed a physical import for $60 while VGP listed it at $70. Since Play-Asia listed Ghost Trick at $60 before lowering it once the official price came out, it’s quite likely that the same thing will happen here, since it appears the physical edition in Japan is going for closer to $45. Right now, we just have to wait and see. (Edit: Play-Asia has now revised the price down to $42, and VGP to $52.)
What do you think about the new features and bonuses revealed for the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy? Do you think there’s a chance it will tease Ace Attorney 7?
Preorders have been opening up for the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy, with physical Switch copies in North America confirmed.
