Operation Backlog Completion 2026

Two Weeks to Go! Feel the Excitement!

 My Games, Video games, Writing  3 Responses »  Tagged with: , , ,
Aug 162014
 

That’s right, in two weeks, it’ll be August 29, and you know what that means!

The next 30 pages of my thesis novel are due.

Well, yes. But besides that…

Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney will be released in North America!

I just checked Amazon, and my order is on schedule to be delivered on the 29th. If I ever wait until the last minute to finish my thesis submission, it’s not going to be this time, I can tell you that.

Speaking of writing, my ChoiceScript adventures are also going well. Even though it’s set up for text-based, choice-driven games, I’m trying to use ChoiceScript to make a survival horror-esque game… and it’s actually going pretty well. Adding exploration and backtracking creates some complications, but I’ve found ways to handle it.

So far, I’ve made a working inventory (with health items, equipment, and key items), a combat system through which you can either fight enemies or run from them, and a safe room/save system. I’ve created a framework for solving puzzles, as well as the potential for chases.

It’s really a lot of fun!

Now I need to map out my story and gameplay progression (recursive unlocking, anyone?) so I can continue forward. Don’t worry, I’ll make an announcement as soon as I have a working demo!

Update: So, in the end, was Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright what I expected? Check out my review to find out!

Order to Play Professor Layton and Ace Attorney Games

 Video games  38 Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Aug 012014
 

What order should I play Professor Layton and Ace Attorney?

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What order should I play Ace Attorney in?
What order should I play Professor Layton in?

One day, while I was visiting the 3DS page on Reddit, someone who loved Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask asked if it was worth buying the older games in the series. Two days later, someone wanted to play Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies and asked if it was necessary to play Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney first.

And then it began.

  • Another person interested in Dual Destinies asked if they could play it without any experience with the series.
  • Someone else asked which Ace Attorney game should be played first.
  • A few more days passed, and someone asked if they should play the Professor Layton games in the order they were released, or in chronological order.
  • The next day, someone asked if they could play Dual Destinies before the rest of the series.
  • And after that, yet another person asked which Professor Layton game was best to enter the series with.
  • Someone asked if they should play all the previous Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright games before the crossover.
  • Meanwhile, someone else asked for help figuring out where to start the Professor Layton series… and the Ace Attorney series, too.

This sudden rush of interest in these two series may have been because of the upcoming release of Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney at the time. Many people want to experience Professor Layton and Ace Attorney before playing the crossover. Somewhere in the middle of typing answers, I realized I should write a guide to answer all of these questions about the order in which to play the Professor Layton and Ace Attorney games.

Now, with The Great Ace Attorney and Ace Attorney Investigations 2 available in the west at last and Professor Layton receiving a new entry for the first time in years, newcomers looking for the order to play Ace Attorney and Professor Layton are more common than ever.

I’ve given a brief overview of both series in the past–Ace Attorney when I finished Dual Destinies, and Professor Layton when I finished Azran Legacy–so feel free to stop by those articles to learn more about either series.

Ace Attorney

Now, let’s take a look at the Ace Attorney games.

There are six games in the main series, as well as five spin-offs — two in the middle of the timeline and two prequels, as well as the crossover with Professor Layton.

The order to play the main series Ace Attorney games is:

  • Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
  • Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All
  • Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations
  • Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
  • Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies
  • Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice

Which Ace Attorney game should you play first? Ideally, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, which is now available across all platforms as part of the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy.

If you intend to play the entire series, release date order is best, but it is not strictly necessary when it comes to the spin-offs.

When should you play Ace Attorney Investigations? As spin-offs, Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Gambit are not as important to the overall plot. It’s fine if you play them last, even though they released after Apollo Justice. However, they reference events from the original trilogy, so your best experience will be to at least play the Phoenix Wright Trilogy first. If you want to avoid even implied spoilers entirely, they are best played before Dual Destinies, as well.

Can you play The Great Ace Attorney without playing the other Ace Attorney games first? Yes. The Great Ace Attorney and its sequel stand on their own due to being far-distant prequels, so they can be played at any point. Playing them later will help you see the series’ progression, as well as callbacks to and subversions of the original trilogy, but there are no direct connections.

If you’re looking for the best way to play all Ace Attorney games on modern platforms, skip ahead to: Ace Attorney Collections!

If instead you want to know more about the individual releases across the DS and 3DS era as well, here are all the Ace Attorney games in release date order:

Ace Attorney’s chronological order is almost identical to release date order, except the Investigations games are set before Apollo Justice, and The Great Ace Attorney precedes everything.

Before the release of the Trilogy collection, some players also preferred to start with Dual Destinies rather than track down the DS games. Dual Destinies doesn’t spoil much for the previous games, so it’s a decent starting point for a newcomer to the series. (This doesn’t mean it’s spoiler-free. Ace Attorney is a plot-driven series, after all. If you want to play all of the games, it’s best to play them in order.)

As for the other question–do you have to play Apollo Justice before Dual Destinies–the short answer is no, you don’t have to. If you want the full experience, however, you should. And you should play Apollo Justice before Spirit of Justice.

With the closure of the 3DS eShop, Apollo Justice, Dual Destinies, and Spirit of Justice are no longer available on 3DS. Apollo Justice received a physical DS release as well as mobile ports, while Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice also have mobile ports.

Fortunately, it is now easier than ever to play the Ace Attorney series, as they’re (almost) all available on modern platforms in collections!

Ace Attorney Collections


The Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Justice for All, and Trials & Tribulations) has been released digitally for the Nintendo 3DS (no longer available), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, iOS, and Android. Imported physical copies can also be played in English. This is the best place to start the series.

Is there a collection of main series titles 4-6 (Apollo Justice, Dual Destinies, and Spirit of Justice) for modern platforms? YES!

Capcom finally released the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. This collection contains Apollo Justice, Dual Destinies, and Spirit of Justice.

It is available digitally for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, with a physical Switch copy also available. Imports of the physical PS4 copy include English as well.

You might also spot a bundle called the Ace Attorney Anthology. What is the Ace Attorney Anthology? It’s a bundle of the Phoenix Wright Trilogy and the Apollo Justice Trilogy, so that you can buy all 6 main series games together at once.

Will there be an Ace Attorney Investigations duology collection? YES!

After years of Ace Attorney Investigations only having mobile ports in addition to the original DS release, and Ace Attorney Investigations 2 only being available in Japan (I spent a decade asking for AAI2 in English), the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection has finally been announced, which includes an official Ace Attorney Investigations 2 localization.

It will be available on September 6 digitally for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and physically for Nintendo Switch as well. Imports of the physical PS4 version will also include English. (In Europe, the PS4 version received a physical edition while the Switch didn’t.)

And Investigations 2 wasn’t the first previously untranslated Ace Attorney game to get an official localization recently, which brings us to the last collection…

Dai Gyakuten Saiban and its sequel were finally localized in a collection called The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles for the Switch, PS4, and PC! A physical Switch copy is also available. As with the others, imports of the physical PS4 copy will include English as well.

Once again, can you start with The Great Ace Attorney? Absolutely. You play as Phoenix Wright’s ancestor, and the events are so far-removed from those of the main series that starting here shouldn’t be a problem. It contains only a few slight references to the main series, and it’s some of the best storytelling the series has to offer!

Play them all, if you can! Including the spin-offs!

Professor Layton


All right, let’s move on to the Professor Layton games.

Here’s where it gets a little more confusing. There are seven games in the main series. Here are all the Professor Layton games in release date order:

The first six games are divided into the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy. Layton’s Mystery Journey (formerly announced as Lady Layton) tells a new story set after the original games. Meanwhile, the newly-announced Professor Layton and the New World of Steam is set after Unwound Future. Therefore, the chronological order is:

  • Professor Layton and the Last Specter
  • Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask
  • Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy
  • Professor Layton and the Curious Village
  • Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
  • Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
  • Professor Layton and the New World of Steam
  • Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy

The Deluxe Edition of Layton’s Mystery Journey includes 40 new puzzles, the original version’s DLC outfits, and improved graphics.

If you love the story, there’s also a movie. Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva is set in between Last Specter and Miracle Mask.

Then there’s the iOS/Android spin-off, but since Layton Brothers: Mystery Room isn’t part of the main series and plays more like a streamlined Ace Attorney game than a Professor Layton game, don’t worry about it too much. (However, it IS enjoyable.) Layton’s Mystery Journey confirmed that Mystery Room is canon.

An additional spin-off, called Layton 7, was announced for iOS and Android, but was most likely cancelled.

So, which Professor Layton game should you play first?

Once again, my general recommendation is that if you plan to play them all, you should play the games in the order they were released. Gameplay and design improved the further the series went on, so if you play them in chronological order, you’ll feel like you took a step back when you get to the original trilogy.

While Professor Layton games are also story-driven, the original trilogy doesn’t have a strong overarching plot. If you want to skip Curious Village, you’ll be okay.

If you don’t plan to play all the games and just want to try them to get a feel for the series, the next logical starting place is Last Specter. On the other hand, if you want to only play the 3DS games, you should be able to start with Miracle Mask easily enough, although the prequel trilogy has a stronger overarching plot.

However, most fans agree that Unwound Future is the best game in the series, so if you never play it, you’ll be missing out on something great.

Unfortunately, these games have not seen many ports. The original trilogy has received mobile ports, which makes Curious Village (iOS/Android), Diabolical Box (iOS/Android), and Unwound Future (iOS/Android) still accessible without tracking down DS copies. Will Last Specter, Miracle Mask, and Azan Legacy get mobile ports? Better yet, will the Professor Layton series be ported to other platforms? Will we ever have a Professor Layton Trilogy collection? There’s no sign of it happening so far, but with Level-5’s recent revival, maybe there’s still a chance.

Layton’s Mystery Journey is unfortunately one of the weakest games in the series, but it doesn’t rely on knowledge of the previous games to play. You can play Katrielle’s game even if you haven’t played the others. In addition to the 3DS and Switch versions, it is also on iOS and Android.

What about New World of Steam? Can you start with Professor Layton and the New World of Steam? Few details are known about this upcoming new game at all, let alone whether you can play it without playing the other games, but I’ll update this post once we know more.

So, now that you know about the individual series… what about the crossover?

Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney

Professor-Layton-vs-Phoenix-Wright-box-artCrossovers often appeal to both audiences, so while fans of both series are interested in Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, a lot of people looking at it are either newcomers to both series, or have played one but not the other. For that last group especially, a crossover looks like a great way to try out the other series–so do you need to play previous Ace Attorney/Professor Layton games first?

Not really. Its position in the timeline is vague. Most fans place it after Trials and Tribulations in the Ace Attorney timeline, and between Diabolical Box and Unwound Future in the Professor Layton timeline, but since that puts it simultaneously in the year 2019 and in the steampunk-esque vague 1960s (no one knows when Professor Layton is actually set), does it even matter?

Due to references and shout-outs, the crossover means the most to fans of both series, but it doesn’t depend on players having prior knowledge of them. In fact, this is a great way to give Professor Layton fans a taste of Ace Attorney gameplay and vice versa. Most importantly, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright has no spoilers for either series.

So no matter what your knowledge of the series is, if you want to play Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, go for it!

Unfortunately, with the 3DS eShop closed, the only way to buy the crossover is to track down a rare physical copy. As of September 6, 2024, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is the only Ace Attorney game not available on current platforms. Will Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright be remastered or receive a port? With the general lack of Professor Layton ports, it seems unlikely, but if that situation changes, I’ll update this page!

Let me know what worked and what didn’t work, and be sure to ask if you have any more Ace Attorney or Professor Layton questions.

Secrets, Puzzles, and a Spoiler-Free Look at Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy

 Reviews, Video games  No Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Apr 022014
 

If you ever see my iPod, with its Professor Layton case… or my Professor Layton T-shirt… or my Professor Layton plushie… you probably wouldn’t believe that there was a time I didn’t care for the Professor Layton series. See, for years, I was convinced I didn’t like puzzle games, so I really had no interest in learning about a game series focused on puzzles.

Then I became an Ace Attorney fan, shortly before Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney was first announced for Japan. I was a bit perturbed, because now this awesome new series I’d fallen in love with was getting a crossover with some weird puzzle thing. But that very week, three of my friends independently told me I should try the Professor Layton series. I finally gave in, borrowed Professor Layton and the Curious Village from a friend, and tried it.

Within a week, I had it finished. I’d solved all the puzzles. And the next two games were on my list. By the time Professor Layton and the Last Specter was announced, Layton games were immediate preorders for me.

You see, it’s not just about mind-bending puzzles, although there are plenty of those. There are excellent stories, memorable characters, and some truly cool moments.

Back when I first heard about the series, I wouldn’t have expected sword fights. Turns out our gentleman archaeologist puzzle master is also an expert duelist.

In fact, it might be best to just say the Layton series has its own special atmosphere and loves insane twists, and leave it at that…

Professor Layton Detra-Gigant

This is a series about solving puzzles.

Right now, there are six main-series Professor Layton games, one movie, one spin-off, and one crossover (which, as of the time of this post, is not yet released in North America):

I love all of these, some more than others, and I can’t wait until the crossover comes out. I’m also hoping for a sequel to Layton Brothers, but that’s a topic for another time. Today I want to talk about the sixth game, which is supposed to be the final adventure starring Professor Hershel Layton, Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy.

In addition to puzzles, the Professor Layton series is very narrative driven, so I won’t reveal any spoilers in this post. Really, I just want to go on and on about how much I love this game.

As the conclusion to the prequel trilogy, Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy promises to reveal the secrets of the Azran, an ancient civilization important to the plots of the previous two games and the movie. The story kicks off when Professor Layton gets a letter from Professor Sycamore (no, not the Pokemon character), who has discovered a “living mummy” frozen in ice. She is Aurora, the emissary left by the Azran, and so Layton, his apprentice Luke, his assistant Emmy, Professor Sycamore, and Aurora go off in search of the answer to the final Azran puzzle.

But of course, they aren’t the only ones after the Azran legacy. A criminal organization known as Targent is determined to get there first!

Some people have taken issue with the pacing of this game, but I had no problems with it. It does slow down  significantly near the middle, but it worked for me. While there was less action, it gave me a chance to get to know the new additions to our team, and it really made me like Sycamore and Aurora. In a game like this, that’s important. My love for the characters invested me in their story. I had to play more to find out what was going to happen. I couldn’t bear not knowing how it would all work out.

And then there were moments that gave me the terrifying feeling that this game was going to do its best to destroy my emotions…

Until I played Azran Legacy, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future and To the Moon held the distinction of being the only two video games to actually make me cry. …After I made it through all the twists and turns of Azran Legacy, there are now three games with that honor.

The story was fantastic, the characters were wonderful, and the puzzles were as good as ever. There are 165 puzzles in this one–150 in the main game itself and an additional 15 bonus puzzles to unlock. I’ve already finished all of those, making great use of my hint coins, but I’m not done yet, because I have daily puzzles to look forward to! For an entire year, one new puzzle will be released each day.

And I’m going to solve them all, because every puzzle has an answer.

Even if some of them drive me crazy.

If you see me glaring at my 3DS, I’m probably stuck on a puzzle.

I’m glad I have all of those puzzles to look forward to, because as excited as I was for the story, a part of me was sad to finish Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy. This is supposed to be the last game in the main series… the last game starring Professor Layton. The little I’ve seen of “Layton 7” doesn’t look like it has the same style at all. There’s still the crossover, and I’d welcome a Layton Brothers sequel, but what will I do without another wild adventure filled with insane twists and characters who can be in the middle of an enemy base and still pause to say, “Hey look, a hidden puzzle”?

Personally, I hope the Professor will pass the torch to another character in the series. There are several likely candidates, and I see no reason why the Layton series should end so soon.

Buy Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy from Amazon
Buy Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy from Play-Asia

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