The Ace Attorney series was created with a near-future setting, and that future is now here. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney takes place in 2016.

This Wednesday, August 3, was the date of Phoenix Wright’s first trial, The First Turnabout.

As you can see from the Ace Attorney case timeline, Phoenix will take on his tragic second case next month with Turnabout Sisters, Turnabout Samurai occurs in October, and of course Christmas will be marred by Turnabout Goodbyes.

This is the year of Phoenix Wright, and not only because Spirit of Justice comes out next month and the anime is airing now.

Strangely, it goes further.

In February, an actor died after being stabbed by a samurai sword during rehearsal. In June, a parrot became a potential witness in a murder case. Several strange parallels have haunted 2016.

Then again, there was a parrot witness in 2014, too, so maybe it’s not so eerie. It also happened in 1942. (And here we always thought Phoenix’s cross-examination of the parrot was absurd!)

If you have no idea what any of this is about, you should play Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, available for the Nintendo DS, on iOS, or as part of the Phoenix Wright Trilogy on the Nintendo eShop. It’s a series well-worth playing.

For Ace Attorney fans, how does it feel to be living in the first game’s setting? What do you think about 2016’s odd coincidences? Did you ever expect parrots to be so helpful in real-life cases?

And the most important question of all… are you looking forward to Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice?