''Ace Attorney'' is a series of
visual novel
A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...
adventure video game
An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based m ...
s developed by
Capcom
is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher. It has created a number of List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil' ...
. With storytelling fashioned after legal dramas, the first entry in the series, ''
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'', was released in 2001; since then, five further main series games, as well as various spin-offs, prequels and high-definition remasters for newer game consoles, have been released. Additionally, the series has seen adaptations in the form of a
live-action film
Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ga ...
and an
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
, and has been the base for
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
series,
drama CD
Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
s,
musicals
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...
and
stage play
A play is a work of drama, usually consisting mostly of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and intended for theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Reading (process), reading. The writer of a play is called a playwright.
Pla ...
s.
The player takes the roles of various defense attorneys, including
Phoenix Wright
Phoenix "Nick" Wright, known as in the original Japanese language versions, is the fictional titular defense attorney and the main protagonist in ''Ace Attorney'', a visual novel adventure video game series created by Japanese company Capcom. Ph ...
, his mentor
Mia Fey
Mia Fey, known as in the original Japanese language versions, is a fictional Criminal defense lawyer, defense attorney in ''Ace Attorney'', a visual novel adventure game, adventure video game series created by Japanese company Capcom. Mia is fea ...
, and his understudies Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes, who investigate cases and defend their clients in court; they find the truth by cross-examining witnesses and finding inconsistencies between the testimonies and the evidence they have collected. The cases all last a maximum of three days, with the judge determining the outcome based on evidence presented by the defense attorney and the prosecutor.
While the original Japanese versions of the games are set in Japan, the series'
localizations are set in the United States (primarily
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
), though retaining Japanese cultural elements. In the spin-off series ''
Ace Attorney Investigations
An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...
'', the player takes the role of prosecutor
Miles Edgeworth
Miles Edgeworth, known as in original Japanese language versions, is a fictional prosecutor in ''Ace Attorney'', a visual novel adventure video game series created by Japanese company Capcom. Initially introduced as a cold-hearted perfectionist, ...
and in the
prequel
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term " ...
series ''
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
''The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures'' is an adventure game in the '' Ace Attorney'' series, developed and published by Capcom. It was directed by Shu Takumi and produced by Shintaro Kojima. The game was released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan ...
'', of Phoenix's ancestor Ryunosuke Naruhodo.
The series was created by the writer and director
Shu Takumi. He wanted the series to end after the third game, but it continued, with Takeshi Yamazaki taking over as writer and director starting with ''
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth'' (2009); Takumi has since returned to write and direct some spin-off titles. The series has been well received, with reviewers liking the characters and story, and the finding of contradictions; it has also performed well commercially, with Capcom regarding it as one of their strongest intellectual properties. The series has been credited with helping to popularize visual novels in the Western world. As of December 31, 2022, the game series has sold 9.8 million units worldwide.
Games
The ''Ace Attorney'' series launched in Japan with the
Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...
game ''
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'' in 2001, and has been published in the West since the release of a
Nintendo DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
port in 2005.
The series currently consists of six main series games and five spin-offs.
Main series
* ''
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'' is the first entry in the series. It was originally released for the Game Boy Advance in 2001 in Japan;
it has also been released for the Nintendo DS in 2005,
Microsoft Windows in 2008,
and the
Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
and
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
in 2009.
* ''
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All'' was originally released for the Game Boy Advance in 2002 in Japan;
it has also been released for the Nintendo DS in 2006,
Microsoft Windows in 2008,
and the Wii in 2010.
* ''
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations'' was originally released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004 in Japan;
it has also been released for Microsoft Windows in 2006,
the Nintendo DS in 2007,
and the Wii in 2010.
* ''
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney'' was released for the Nintendo DS in 2007 in Japan
and in 2008 in the West,
for iOS and Android in 2016, and for Nintendo 3DS in 2017.
* ''
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies'' was originally released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013 in Japan, North America and Europe; outside of Japan, it was given a digital-only release.
It was also released for iOS in 2014,
and Android in 2017.
* ''
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice'' was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2016 in Japan, North America and Europe. Like ''Dual Destinies'', it was given a digital-only release outside Japan.
It was released for iOS and Android in 2017.
Spin-offs
''Ace Attorney Investigations'' series
* ''
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth'' is the first entry in the ''Investigations'' spin-off series. It was released for the Nintendo DS in 2009 in Japan
and in 2010 in the West; it has also been released for Android and iOS in 2017.
* ''
Ace Attorney Investigations 2'' is the second entry in the ''Investigations'' series. It was released for the Nintendo DS in 2011 in Japan;
it has also been released for Android and iOS in 2017. It has not been released in the West and, as of 2023, is the only game in the series that has not had an official English language translation.
''The Great Ace Attorney'' series
* ''
The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures'' was released in Japan for the Nintendo 3DS in 2015,
and for Android and iOS in 2017.
* ''
The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve'' was released in Japan for the Nintendo 3DS in 2017,
and for Android and iOS in 2018.
''Professor Layton'' crossover
* ''
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'' is a
crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Albums and songs
* ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album)
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album)
* ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album)
* ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
between ''Ace Attorney'' and the ''
Professor Layton
''Professor Layton'' is a puzzle video game, puzzle adventure game, adventure video game series and transmedia franchise developed by Level-5 (company), Level-5. The property consists primarily of seven main video games, a mobile spin-off, an an ...
'' series. It was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012 in Japan
and in 2014 in the West.
Compilations
* ''
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy'' contains the first three games in the series: ''Phoenix Wright'', ''Justice for All'', and ''Trials and Tribulations''. It was released for iOS and Android in 2012 in Japan and for iOS in 2013 in the West,
It was later released for the
Nintendo 3DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...
in 2014,
and
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
,
PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 in ...
,
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
, and
Xbox One
The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
, in 2019. Capcom removed the mobile-only version of the game from stores, and replaced it with the console version on iOS and Android as of June 10, 2022.
* ''
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
''The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures'' is an adventure game in the '' Ace Attorney'' series, developed and published by Capcom. It was directed by Shu Takumi and produced by Shintaro Kojima. The game was released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan ...
'' contains both games in ''The Great Ace Attorney'' series: ''Adventures'' and ''2: Resolve''. It was released in July 2021 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Windows. This was the first time both games were made officially available outside of Japan.
* ''
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy'' contains the fourth through sixth mainline games: ''Apollo Justice'', ''Dual Destinies'', and ''Spirit of Justice''. It is set for release in early 2024 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One.
Common elements
Gameplay
The ''Ace Attorney'' games are
visual novel
A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...
adventure game
An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or Puzzle video game, puzzle-solving. The Video game genres, genre's focus on story allows it to draw ...
s
in which the player controls
defense attorney
A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various ...
s and defends their clients in several different episodes.
The gameplay is split into two types of sections: investigations and courtroom trials.
During the investigations, the player searches the environments, gathering information and evidence, and talks to characters such as their client, witnesses, and the police.
Once enough evidence has been collected, the game moves on to a courtroom trial section.
In the courtroom trials, the player aims to get their client declared "not guilty". To do so, they cross-examine witnesses,
and aim to find lies and inconsistencies in the testimonies. They are able to go back and forth between the different statements in the testimony, and can press the witness for more details on a statement. When the player finds an inconsistency, they can present a piece of evidence that contradicts the statement. If the player is correct, the game presents a sequence that often starts with the protagonist shouting "Objection!" and pointing at the witness along with a shift in music before they begin to grill the witness with the inconsistency, which has become an iconic aspect of the series.
The player is penalized if they present incorrect evidence: in the first game, a number of exclamation marks are shown, with one disappearing after each mistake the player makes;
in later games, a health bar that represents the judge's patience is used instead; and in 3DS games, the character's lawyer badge is used.
If all exclamation marks or lawyer badges are lost, or the health bar reaches zero, the player loses the game and their client is declared guilty.
Several ''Ace Attorney'' games introduce new gameplay mechanics to the series. ''Justice for All'' introduces "psyche-locks", which are shown over a witness when the player asks them about a topic they do not want to discuss; using a ''
magatama
are curved, comma-shaped beads that appeared in prehistoric Japan from the Final Jōmon period through the Kofun period, approximately 1000 BCE to the 6th century CE. The beads, also described as "jewels", were made of primitive stone and eart ...
'', the player can start breaking the psyche-locks by showing the witness evidence or character profiles that proves they are hiding something. The number of psyche-locks depends on how deep the secret is; when all locks are broken, the topic becomes available, giving the player access to new information.
''Apollo Justice'' introduces the "perceive" system, where the player looks for motions or actions made by witnesses that show nervousness, similar to a
tell in poker.
''Dual Destinies'' introduces the "mood matrix", through which the player can gauge the emotions of a witness, such as tones of anger when mentioning certain topics; if the player notices a contradictory emotional response during testimony, they can point out the discrepancy and press the witness for more information. ''Dual Destinies'' also introduces "revisualization",
where the player reviews vital facts and forms links between evidence to reach new conclusions.
''Spirit of Justice'' introduces "divination
séance
A séance or seance (; ) is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word ''séance'' comes from the French word for "session", from the Old French ''seoir'', "to sit". In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, spe ...
s", in which the player is shown the memories of victims moments before their deaths, and must find contradictions in the victim's five senses to determine what has happened.
''Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'' introduces simultaneous cross-examinations of multiple witnesses, with the player being able to see and hear reactions from the different witnesses to the testimony and using this to find contradictions. ''The Great Ace Attorney'' introduces "joint reasoning", where the player finds out the truth by pointing out when their investigative partner
Herlock Sholmes
is a fictional character and protagonist of the ''Space Pirate Captain Harlock'' manga series created by Leiji Matsumoto.
Harlock is the archetypical Romantic hero, a space pirate with an individualist philosophy of life. He is as noble as he ...
takes his reasoning "further than the truth".
The ''Ace Attorney Investigations'' spin-off series splits the gameplay into investigation phases and rebuttal phases, the latter of which is similar to the courtroom trials of the main series.
During the investigation phases, the player searches for evidence and talks to witnesses and suspects. Things the player character notices in the environment are saved as thoughts; the player can use the "logic" system to connect two such thoughts to gain access to new information.
At some points, the player can create
hologram
Holography is a technique that enables a wavefront to be recorded and later re-constructed. Holography is best known as a method of generating real three-dimensional images, but it also has a wide range of other Holography#Applications, applic ...
reproductions of the crime scene,
through which they can discover new information that would otherwise be hidden. ''Ace Attorney Investigations 2'' introduces "logic chess", where the player interrogates witnesses in a timed sequence that is visualized as a game of chess, with the player aiming to destroy the other character's chess pieces. To do this, they need to build up their advantage in the discussion by alternating between speaking and listening, and then choose to go on the offensive.
Characters and setting
The protagonist of the first three games is the defense attorney
Phoenix Wright
Phoenix "Nick" Wright, known as in the original Japanese language versions, is the fictional titular defense attorney and the main protagonist in ''Ace Attorney'', a visual novel adventure video game series created by Japanese company Capcom. Ph ...
(Ryūichi Naruhodō in the Japanese version), who is assisted by the spirit medium
Maya Fey
Maya Fey, known as in the original Japanese language versions, is a fictional Mediumship, spirit medium in ''Ace Attorney'', a visual novel Adventure game, adventure video game series created by Japanese company Capcom. Maya is featured as the m ...
;
in the third game, Phoenix's mentor
Mia Fey
Mia Fey, known as in the original Japanese language versions, is a fictional Criminal defense lawyer, defense attorney in ''Ace Attorney'', a visual novel adventure game, adventure video game series created by Japanese company Capcom. Mia is fea ...
is also a playable character.
In the fourth game, the protagonist is the defense attorney Apollo Justice; in the fifth, Phoenix, Apollo and the new defense attorney Athena Cykes are all protagonists; and in the sixth, Phoenix and Apollo are the main protagonists, while Athena is playable in one case. The spin-off ''The Great Ace Attorney'' is set in England near the end of the 19th century, and follows Phoenix's ancestor Ryunosuke Naruhodo.
Phoenix's childhood friend
Miles Edgeworth
Miles Edgeworth, known as in original Japanese language versions, is a fictional prosecutor in ''Ace Attorney'', a visual novel adventure video game series created by Japanese company Capcom. Initially introduced as a cold-hearted perfectionist, ...
, who is the protagonist of the ''Ace Attorney Investigations'' games,
is a recurring rival prosecutor character; in addition to him, each new game in the series introduces a new rival:
Franziska von Karma
''Ace Attorney'' is a series of legal thriller comedy-drama adventure/visual novel games created by Shu Takumi. Players assume the role of a defense attorney in a fictional courtroom setting in the main series. Published by Capcom, the series i ...
is introduced in the second game,
Godot in the third, Klavier Gavin in the fourth, Simon Blackquill in the fifth, Nahyuta Sahdmadhi in the sixth, Barok van Zieks in ''Adventures'', and Kazuma Asogi in ''Resolve''. Most of the prosecutor characters are portrayed as powerful and arrogant characters of high social status and who care about keeping perfect-win records in court, and even may favor convictions over finding the truth, although most have secret motivations and sympathetic backstories and typically help the protagonist at the game's climax. Similarly to real Japanese prosecutors, the prosecutors in the series often directly oversee investigations, issuing orders to the police. Japanese attitudes towards the police force are reflected in the series, with the police being represented by incompetent characters such as Dick Gumshoe, Maggey Byrde and Mike Meekins.
In the world of ''Ace Attorney'', trials only last three days, and usually end with a "guilty" verdict, with trials taken up by the protagonists of the games being rare exceptions.
The outcomes of cases are decided by a judge, based on evidence provided by the defense attorney and the prosecutor.
Development
The series was created by
Shu Takumi, who wrote and directed the first three games. The first game was conceived in 2000 when Takumi's boss at the time,
Shinji Mikami
is a Japanese video game designer, director, and producer. Starting his career at Capcom in 1990, he has worked on many of the company's most successful games. He directed the first installment of the ''Resident Evil'' series in 1996 and the f ...
, gave him six months to create any type of game he wanted to; Takumi had originally joined Capcom wanting to make mystery and adventure games, and felt that this was a big chance for him to make a mark as a creator.
The game was designed to be simple, as Takumi wanted it to be easy enough for even his mother to play.
It was originally going to be a detective game, with Phoenix being a
private investigator
A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...
, but at one point Takumi realized that finding and taking apart contradictions was not related to detective work, and felt that the main setting of the game should be courtrooms.
Takumi cited Japanese mystery author
Edogawa Ranpo
, better known by the pen name was a Japanese author and critic who played a major role in the development of Japanese mystery and thriller fiction. Many of his novels involve the detective hero Kogoro Akechi, who in later books was the le ...
as an inspiration, particularly ''The Psychological Test'', a short story which involves a crime that "unravels due to the criminal's contradictory testimony." It had a big impact on him, and was a major influence on the game. He was also inspired by stories from another Japanese author,
Shinichi Hoshi
Shinichi Hoshi (星 新一 ''Hoshi Shin'ichi'', September 6, 1926 – December 30, 1997) was a Japanese people, Japanese novelist and science fiction writer best known for his "flash fiction, short-short" science fiction stories, often no more ...
, stating that he was pursuing his "element of surprise and unexpectedness."
Takumi felt that the best way to write a mystery with a good climax is to reveal various clues, and then pull them together into one conclusion, and not have multiple possible endings. He said that the biggest challenge with that was to make the gameplay and story work together; the goal was to make the player feel like they have driven the story forward themselves, with their own choices, even though the game is linear.
He only spent little time on writing a backstory for Phoenix before writing the first game's story, and instead made up dialogue and developed Phoenix's personality as he went along.
He came up with the partner character Maya because he thought it would be more fun for players to have another character with them, giving them advice, than investigating on their own.
After the first game's development was finished, Mikami told Takumi that they should make an ''Ace Attorney'' trilogy, with a grand finale in the third game's last case.
Takumi had originally planned to let Edgeworth be the prosecutor in all episodes in the second game,
but during the production the development team learned that the character had become popular. This led to Takumi feeling that he had to use the character more carefully and sparingly; he created the new prosecutor character Franziska von Karma, to save Edgeworth for the game's last case, and avoid a situation where he—a supposed prodigy—loses every case.
As Takumi wanted the three first ''Ace Attorney'' games to be parts of a larger work, he avoided making a lot of changes between games: art from the first game for main characters such as Phoenix, Maya and Edgeworth was reused, to avoid having the previous games look outdated in comparison to newer games in the series; and no new gameplay mechanics were added for ''Trials and Tribulations'', as Takumi was happy with the gameplay after having added the psyche-lock mechanic for ''Justice for All''.
For the fourth game, Takumi wrote the scenario and took on a supervisory role.
He had wanted the series to end with the third game, as he felt Phoenix had been fully explored and that his story had been told; he said that it is important to know when to end a story, that he did not want the series to become a shadow of its former self, and that he did not see any reason to continue it. Despite this, the spin-off series ''Ace Attorney Investigations'' was created, being directed by Takeshi Yamazaki and produced by Motohide Eshiro; Takumi returned to the series to write the crossover ''Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney''.
He also directed and wrote ''The Great Ace Attorney'', which was described as being the first entry in a new ''Ace Attorney'' series.
He said that he has mixed feelings about the series being developed by other Capcom staff, comparing it to a parent sending their child to their first day in school.
Yamazaki and Eshiro went on to direct and produce the main series entries ''Dual Destinies'' and ''Spirit of Justice''.
Due to exhaustion after working on ''Dual Destinies'', Yamazaki split direction responsibilities with Takuro Fuse for ''Spirit of Justice'', with Yamazaki working on the scenario, and Fuse on the art and gameplay.
In 2020, Yamazaki left Capcom.
Localization
The
localization
Localization or localisation may refer to:
Biology
* Localization of function, locating psychological functions in the brain or nervous system; see Linguistic intelligence
* Localization of sensation, ability to tell what part of the body is a ...
of the first game was outsourced to Bowne Global, and was handled by the writer
Alexander O. Smith
Alexander O. Smith is a professional Japanese to English translator and author. While his output covers many areas such as adaptation of Japanese novels, manga, song lyrics, anime scripts, and various academic works, he is best known for his sof ...
and the editor Steve Anderson. While the Japanese version takes place in Japan, the localized version is set in the United States: because one of the episodes involves time zones, they had to specify where the game takes place, and chose the United States without thinking a lot about it.
The Japanese justice system of the original still remained intact in the localization, as changing it would have altered the entire game structure.
The change in the series' setting became an issue in later games, where the Japanese setting was more obvious.
Starting with the second game, the series localization direction has been handled by Janet Hsu;
One of the first decisions she had to make was how to localize Maya's hometown and the mysticism of the Fey clan. She came up with the idea that the localized versions of the ''Ace Attorney'' games take place in Los Angeles in an alternative universe where anti-Japanese laws like the
California Alien Land Law of 1913
The California Alien Land Law of 1913 (also known as the Webb–Haney Act) prohibited "aliens ineligible for citizenship" from owning agricultural land or possessing long-term leases over it, but permitted leases lasting up to three years. It affe ...
were not passed, anti-Japanese sentiments were not powerful, and where Japanese culture flourished. This dictated what should be localized and what should be kept Japanese; things relating to the Fey clan and the Kurain channeling technique were kept Japanese, as that was Maya's heritage, while Japanese foods that were not widely known in the West were changed, such as changing Maya's favorite food from ramen to burgers. That particular change was mocked by players as the dish later became more well known in the West, and was lampshaded in the English release of ''Spirit of Justice'', where Maya is described as liking both ramen and burgers.
Character names were also localized to use double meanings similarly to the Japanese names;
the name puns were based on the characters' personalities or backgrounds, or were visual gags.
Several English names were based on their Japanese counterparts, but for some characters the names had to be altered heavily compared to the Japanese versions.
Smith and Anderson had a lot of freedom when localizing the names of minor characters in the first game, but discussed the names of the main cast with Capcom. Phoenix's English surname, "Wright", was chosen as his Japanese name, "Naruhodō"—meaning "I see" or "I understand"—was frequently used as a joke in the script.
''Dual Destinies'' was given a digital-only release in the West as to release the English version as close to the Japanese release date as possible while maintaining a tight development schedule.
Its follow-up, ''Spirit of Justice'', was released in the same manner. Although ''Ace Attorney Investigations 2'' has not been officially localized, an English
fan translation
Fan translation (or user-generated translation) refers to the unofficial translation of various forms of written or multimedia products made by fans (fan labor), often into a language in which an official translated version is not yet available. ...
has been made.
Both ''The Great Ace Attorney'' games were released in the West with English localization in July 2021 as part of ''The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles,''
making ''Ace Attorney Investigations 2'' the only game in the series to remain a Japan-only release.
Reception
The ''Ace Attorney'' series has been well received by critics,
and has performed well commercially: in December 2009, it was Capcom's 9th-best-selling series of all time, and in October 2010, they called it one of their "strongest intellectual properties", with more than 3.9 million units sold worldwide. By December 2013, the series had sold over 5 million units. In the United States, the first game became surprisingly successful, forcing Capcom to prepare at least three additional runs to meet the demand. By June 2018, the series had sold over 6.7 million units. As of December 31, 2022, the game series has sold 9.8 million units worldwide.
Geoff Thew at ''Hardcore Gamer'' said that the "craziness" of the game world makes the cases entertaining, but also that it "resonates on a deeper level" due to its connection to the real
Japanese legal system, making the setting still feel relevant in 2014.
Bob Mackey at
USgamer
Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British mass media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and other ...
said that the ''Ace Attorney'' games were among the best written games of all time, and that the series' strength is how each game builds up to a "stunning and satisfying finale".
Thomas Whitehead at Nintendo Life also liked the writing, praising its balance between "light-hearted nonsense" and darker, more serious scenarios.
Several reviewers have appreciated the series' characters;
Thew said that Phoenix and Maya's banter is among the best in video games, and that Edgeworth's
character arc
A character arc is the transformation or inner journey of a character over the course of a story. If a story has a character arc, the character begins as one sort of person and gradually transforms into a different sort of person in response to ch ...
is one of the most compelling parts of the stories.
Reviewers have liked finding contradictions;
a common complaint, however, is the games' linearity,
as well as how the player sometimes has to resort to a
trial-and-error
Trial and error is a fundamental method of problem-solving characterized by repeated, varied attempts which are continued until success, or until the practicer stops trying.
According to W.H. Thorpe, the term was devised by C. Lloyd Morgan (1 ...
method due to the games only accepting specific pieces of evidence, and how testimony statements sometimes need to be pressed in a specific order.
Some reviewers have criticized the lack of changes to the gameplay and presentation throughout the series,
while some have said that fans of the series would not have a problem with this.
Several reviewers have praised the series' music.
They said that the greatest aspect of the series is its audio design, with the first three games using the Game Boy Advance sound chip better than any other game for that platform; he called the music phenomenal, with the exception of that in ''Justice for All'', but said the sound effects are what "steals the show".
Mackey commented that the games' small amounts of animations for each character are used well for their characterization.
Related media and other appearances
![Takarazuka grand theater03s3200](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Takarazuka_grand_theater03s3200.jpg)
The
Takarazuka Revue
The is a Japanese all-female musical theatre troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway-style productions of Western-style musicals and stories adapted from films, novels, manga, and Japane ...
, an all-female theater troupe, has adapted the series into stage musicals: 2009's ''Ace Attorney: Truth Resurrected'', which is based on the last episode of the first game; 2010's ''Ace Attorney 2: Truth Resurrected Again'', whose first act is an original story, and whose second is based on the final episode of the second game; and 2013's ''Ace Attorney 3: Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth'', which is set before the events of ''Truth Resurrected Again''. A
stage play
A play is a work of drama, usually consisting mostly of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and intended for theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Reading (process), reading. The writer of a play is called a playwright.
Pla ...
based on the series, titled ''Gyakuten no Spotlight'', ran in 2013, and was written by Eisaku Saito. A 2012 live-action film adaptation of the first game, titled ''
Ace Attorney
''Ace Attorney'' is a series of visual novel adventure video games developed by Capcom. With storytelling fashioned after legal dramas, the first entry in the series, ''Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'', was released in 2001; since then, five f ...
'', was produced at the film studio
Toei and directed by
Takashi Miike
is a Japanese film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has directed over one hundred theatrical, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. His films run through a variety of different genres, and range from violent an ...
. A 2016 TV anime adaptation of the series, ''
Ace Attorney
''Ace Attorney'' is a series of visual novel adventure video games developed by Capcom. With storytelling fashioned after legal dramas, the first entry in the series, ''Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'', was released in 2001; since then, five f ...
'', was produced at
A-1 Pictures
is a Japanese animation studio founded by ex-Sunrise producer Mikihiro Iwata and it is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan's anime production firm Aniplex.
History
The studio was established by SMEJ's animation production division, ...
and directed by
Ayumu Watanabe
is a Japanese anime director. After joining Shin-Ei Animation, he directed multiple ''Doraemon'' anime films. As a freelancer, he also worked on numerous anime adaptations such as ''Space Brothers (manga), Space Brothers'', ''After the Rain (mang ...
.
Kodansha
is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...
has published several
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
based on the series: a short story anthology was published in ''Bessatsu Young Magazine'' in 2006; ''Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'' and ''Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth'' were serialized in ''Weekly Young Magazine'' in 2007 and 2009, respectively; and another manga, which is based on the anime, was published in ''
V Jump
is a Japanese shōnen manga magazine, focusing on new manga as well as video games based on popular manga. The magazine's debut was in 1993 by Shueisha under the ''Jump'' line of magazines.
History
A prototype magazine called '' Hobby's Jump ...
'' in 2016. A novel based on the series, ''Gyakuten Saiban: Turnabout Idol'', was released in June 2016. ''Ace Attorney''
drama CD
Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
s,
soundtrack albums
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ...
, and
figurines
A figurine is a small statuette that represents a human, deity or animal.
Figurine or Figurines may also refer to:
*Figurine (band), American electronica band
*Figurines (band), Danish indie rock band
*''The Figurine
''The Figurine: Araromire' ...
have also been released.
''Ace Attorney'' characters have made crossover appearances in other video games. Some ''Ace Attorney'' characters appear in ''
SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS''. Phoenix and Edgeworth make a cameo appearance in
She-Hulk
She-Hulk (Jennifer "Jen" Walters) is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in ''The Savage She-Hulk'' #1 (cov ...
's ending in the fighting game ''
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds''; in the game's update, ''
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom in collaboration with Eighting. It is an updated version of '' Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds''. The game features characters from both Capcom's video game franchises and comic book se ...
'', Phoenix appears as a
playable character
A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...
. Phoenix and Maya are playable characters in ''
Project X Zone 2
''Project X Zone 2'' is a crossover tactical role-playing game for the Nintendo 3DS developed by Monolith Soft and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Despite the game being the sequel to ''Project X Zone'', the plot is a homage to the event ...
'', while Edgeworth makes a
non-player appearance. Phoenix, Maya, Edgeworth and Franziska were all playable in the
mobile game
A mobile game, or smartphone game, is a video game that is typically played on a mobile phone. The term also refers to all games that are played on any portable device, including from mobile phone (feature phone or smartphone), tablet, PDA to ...
''
Monster Hunter
is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fantasy-themed action role-playing video games that started with the game ''Monster Hunter'' for the PlayStation 2, released in 2004. Titles have been released across a variety of platforms, ...
Explore'' in 2017, as part of one of its temporary crossover events, and a Phoenix transformation is available for a companion character in ''
Monster Hunter XX''. Music from the ''Ace Attorney'' series is featured in ''
Taiko Drum Master: Doko Don! Mystery Adventure'', with Phoenix making an appearance in the game's story. In April 2021, Ace Attorney was introduced to ''
Teppen
(stylized as ''TEPPƎN'') is a free-to-play digital collectible card game developed by GungHo Online Entertainment and Capcom. It released in North America and Europe on July 4, 2019 and in Asia on August 8 for Android, and iOS. The game was i ...
'' alongside the ''
Dead Rising
is a series of action-adventure games created by Keiji Inafune. It was originally developed by Capcom until Capcom Vancouver took over developing the franchise. As of March 31, 2022, the game series has sold 15 million units worldwide and is ...
'' franchise with the "Ace vs. The People" expansion.
Legacy
![Socrates Jones - Euthyphro](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Socrates_Jones_-_Euthyphro.png)
In 2015, ''
GamesRadar+
''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', ''Edge'' and '' Computer ...
'' named ''Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'' as the 55th-best video game of all time. In 2016, ''
Famitsu
formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...
'' readers voted ''Gyakuten Saiban'' as the second-most memorable Game Boy Advance title (behind only
''Pokémon Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'') and ''Gyakuten Saiban 123'' as the tenth-best Nintendo 3DS game. In 2017, ''Famitsu'' readers voted ''Gyakuten Saiban'' the third-best
adventure game
An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or Puzzle video game, puzzle-solving. The Video game genres, genre's focus on story allows it to draw ...
of all time, behind only ''
Steins;Gate
''Steins;Gate'' is a 2009 science fiction visual novel game developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus. It is the second game in the ''Science Adventure'' series, following ''Chaos;Head''. The story follows a group of students as they discover and develo ...
'' and ''
428: Shibuya Scramble''.
The ''Ace Attorney'' series has been credited with helping to popularise visual novels in the Western world.
''
Vice
A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...
'' magazine credits the ''Ace Attorney'' series with popularising the visual novel mystery format, and notes that its success anticipated the resurgence of point-and-click adventure games as well as the international success of Japanese visual novels. According to ''
Danganronpa
is a Japanese video game franchise created by Kazutaka Kodaka and developed and owned by Spike Chunsoft (formerly Spike). The series primarily surrounds various groups of apparent high school students who are forced into murdering each other ...
'' director
Kazutaka Kodaka
is a Japanese video game designer, writer and mangaka. His work is known for recurring themes of contrasting hope/despair, luck/talent, truth/lies; mixing tragedy with dark humor, numerous plot-twists etc. He was an employee of Spike Chunsoft (f ...
, ''Ace Attorney''s success in North America was due to how it distinguished itself from most visual novels with its gameplay mechanics, which ''Danganronpa'' later built upon and helped it also find success in North America.
The ''Ace Attorney'' series has also inspired many video games. The 2008 Capcom title ''
Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law'', based on the
animated series
An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have either ...
, shares many elements with the ''Ace Attorney'' series.
The 2013 title ''
Socrates Jones: Pro Philosopher'' keeps the ''Ace Attorney'' format but swaps law for philosophical argument, and the 2015 adventure game ''
Aviary Attorney
''Aviary Attorney'' is a 2015 adventure game in the style of the ''Ace Attorney'' series. The player takes the role of a defence lawyer, and must investigate crimes and then defend their clients in court.
Gameplay
The game is set in Revolutio ...
'' features similar gameplay but with an all-bird cast of characters.
The 2016 video game ''
Detective Pikachu'', which received a
2019 film adaptation, has also drawn comparisons to the ''Ace Attorney'' series.
''Ace Attorney'' is referenced in several
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
shows. In a murder mystery arc of the 2006 anime series ''
Haruhi Suzumiya
is a Japanese light novel series written by Nagaru Tanigawa and illustrated by Noizi Ito. It was first published in 2003 by Kadokawa Shoten in Japan with the novel ''The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya'', and has since been followed ...
'', the show's titular character mimics Phoenix Wright during an episode. The 2014 anime series ''
No Game No Life
is a Japanese light novel series by Yuu Kamiya. It is published under the MF Bunko J imprint with ten novels released between April 25, 2012, and January 25, 2018. The author and his wife, Mashiro Hiiragi, adapted the novels into a man ...
'' also pays homage to the game during an episode.
In early 2021, a user on
Reddit
Reddit (; stylized in all lowercase as reddit) is an American social news aggregation, content rating, and discussion website. Registered users (commonly referred to as "Redditors") submit content to the site such as links, text posts, images ...
created a bot that took selected Reddit forum arguments into short movies fashioned after ''Ace Attorney'' courtroom battles between the games' various characters.
Later that year, the ''
San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
'' took note of its
queer
''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...
inspiration and influence: the first game inspired a great deal of
fanwork featuring same-sex pairings and developers in turn took inspiration from
boys' love
''Yaoi'' (; ja, やおい ), also known by the ''wasei-eigo'' construction and its abbreviation , is a genre of fictional media originating in Japan that features homoerotic relationships between male characters. It is typically created b ...
in writing the sequels' characters.
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Portal bar, Anime and manga, Japan, Law, Music, Video games
Capcom franchises
Kodansha manga
Shueisha manga
Video game franchises
Video game franchises introduced in 2001
Video games set in Los Angeles
Video games set in Japan
Visual novels
Video games adapted into films
Video games adapted into television shows
Video games about wrongful convictions