Operation Backlog Completion 2026

The Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy Sounds Like a Great Collection!

 Video games  8 Responses »  Tagged with: , , , , ,
Sep 252023
 

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?

Hint of a Dual Destinies Retail Release?

 Video games  No Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Jul 032015
 
eShop only

eShop only

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies was an amazing game. Although the gameplay was a bit too easy, the story, characters, and humor more than made up for it. One thing that disappointed many fans, however, was its digital-only status in the West.

The only way to play an actual physical copy of Dual Destinies is to import the Japanese version, and due to the region-lock, you’d need a Japanese 3DS to play it on (unlike Ace Attorney Investigations 2, where you’d just need to know Japanese).

Fans begged, complained, and occasionally engaged in illogical boycotts to try to get a retail release in the West, but it didn’t work.

Probably.

Yesterday, I was thrilled to learn that the Ace Attorney 3DS themes released in Japan are now available in North America, with the European release to follow.

There are four. Two for the Phoenix Wright Trilogy, which also saw a digital-only localization, and two for Dual Destinies. They look and sound fantastic, but one oddity in the theme showcase videos stands out.

In the two videos for the Trilogy collection, you can see the icon for the Phoenix Wright Trilogy as it scrolls through. Since this is the Western version, it’s clearly for the digital game, as a square icon.

Likewise, the Dual Destinies theme videos show the icon for Dual Destinies… except it’s the cartridge-shaped icon used for a physical game inserted in the 3DS.

These videos are announcing the English release of the themes (available for $2 each, if you want them) and the interface is clearly English? So why show a version of Dual Destinies that isn’t available in English?

Dual-Destinies-retail-release-hint

It could just be an oversight on Capcom’s part when making the videos. On the other hand, it could be a hint that we’ll see a Dual Destinies retail release in the West! And if that happens, maybe things bode well for the upcoming Dai Gyakuten Saiban and our much-awaited Ace Attorney Investigations 2!

Dual Destinies Blew Me Away: My (spoiler-free) Thoughts on the new Ace Attorney Game

 Reviews, Video games  1 Response »  Tagged with: , , ,
Nov 242013
 

Ace Attorney is one of my favorite video game series in the world. When I first heard about it, I thought it sounded dull–why in the world would I want to play a game about a lawyer? Then I gave the first game a try and immediately fell in love.

It wasn’t boring…or very realistic. It tossed me into a world filled with wacky characters, spirit mediums, and trials in which the defense attorney and prosecutor slam their desks and shout, “Objection!” at one another as they try to prove their case, although the trial is always biased in the prosecution’s favor. (“Innocent until proven guilty”? In the world of Ace Attorney, it’s closer to “Guilty unless the defense attorney can shoot down all of the prosecution’s arguments and probably prove who the real killer is, as long as it can be accomplished within 3 trials, because after 3 trials the defense loses.”)

The first game puts you in the shoes of rookie lawyer Phoenix Wright and takes you through the twists and turns of his cases.

The series is very heavy on reading, so keep that in mind. It is very story-driven and has many visual novel elements. Gameplay centers around investigating crime scenes (in a style similar to point-and-click games), questioning people to gather information, and finding contradictions in testimonies and theories. In fact, the unofficial fan musical project explains courtroom gameplay quite well in “The Objection Song.” (Note, the song spoils parts of first game’s first case.) It is a very funny series that nevertheless has its share of dark moments and tragedy.

At the time that I’m writing this, the Ace Attorney games available are:

and the main topic of my post today:

Though this newest Ace Attorney game is a download-only title on the Nintendo e-shop, I consider it to be one of the best. (Update: it is now available to download on iTunes, as well.) Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice both return with their gameplay elements from previous games (Phoenix’s ability to break Psyche-Locks and Apollo’s ability to Perceive lies), along with Athena Cykes, who introduces a new gameplay element called the Mood Matrix. The Mood Matrix is a program that tracks a person’s emotions, so you can look for contradictions between what the person says and what emotions they feel. Oh, and the new prosecutor is a convict who uses psychological manipulation and sics a hawk on people in the courtroom.

Now, if you’ve never played an Ace Attorney game before, there’s a good chance that most of what I said in that last paragraph sounds silly, crazy, or nonsensical. If you’re a fan of the series, it might still sound that way, but at the same time, it all makes perfect sense.

Because I love Dual Destinies so much, let me get the few things I object to out of the way first. It was much easier than previous entries in the series. While in a way, this is a good thing (sometimes the old games could leave you desperately tapping everything on the screen in the hopes that you’d find something), it went a little too far. It was a little too easy, and the investigation sections lost some of the freedom they used to have and locked you onto the correct course. This was most apparent to me when I encountered a set of Psyche-Locks and could immediately unlock them all. In the past, I’d have had to leave the character and hunt around for more information and evidence first. My hope is that future games in the series will find a middle ground.

That’s it for the complaints. I pretty much loved everything else. There are more typos then usual, but not enough to disrupt the brilliant humor and top-notch story. By Case 3, I was enjoying the game quite a bit, and after that, the story really got interesting. The story and characters are really what pushed this game so close to the top for me. Each game has a great plot, but some stand out more than others. In fact, since the very first game, there’s been no question of who my favorite Ace Attorney character is, but Dual Destinies gave me a competitor.

It’s very hard to talk about the story without giving any spoilers. There are many excellent moments that will hit you hard and touch your heart. I could ramble for hours, but I would give everything away in the process. All I’ll say is that, as is typical for the series, there is darkness and tragedy and deep character moments amidst all the zany courtroom antics. In fact, there might be a little more darkness than usual–this is the first game in the series to receive an M-rating, either due to the fact that it now has 3D graphics, or because of a very specific scene that has a lot of blood and is very creepy. Nevertheless, at its core, Dual Destinies is about hope, trust, friendship, and the importance of the truth.

The music is as great as ever, with the return of a lot of old favorites as well as some new songs that are really catchy. (I even bought the soundtrack.)

Since this is the first game on the 3DS, it is also the first to receive downloadable content. I know some people get anxious at the very mention of DLC, but in this case, it’s worth it. It’s a full-length additional case with a wacky story and its own share of great moments and unexpected twists.

If you’ve finished the game already and want to chat about it with me, feel free, just be sure to mark your spoilers for the sake of others. If you’re an Ace Attorney fan who hasn’t gotten this game yet, it’s well worth your time!

And if you haven’t played a single Ace Attorney game before, what are you waiting for? The first game is waiting!

Buy Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies from the Nintendo eShop

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