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Great Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is a fantastic game. The humor, story and puzzle solving are all top notch. If you own a DS you need to own this game, simple as that.

If only there were more options...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: October 25, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I picked this game up on a whim and decided to give it a try. I LOVED this game pressuring people to give testimony, trying to find a flaw in a near-water tight case, and exploring totally random things that would be the most important clue in the end. The only bad thing that can be said about this is that if you hate to use logic and don't have the patience, then it's not for you. When you beat it, there's not reason to replay it again. Also, a few times I knew what I wanted to say, only I couldn't get him to say it. But these are small issuses. Overall, good game to play through, beat, then pat your self on the back because you beat it.

Welcome to one of the best video games ever.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: December 04, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is simply an amazing video game. A text-based game in the vein of classics like Deja Vu for the old NES, this game and the others in the series involve no button mashing, but instead play like an interactive novel. Taking on the role of Phoenix Wright, a rookie defense attorney, it's your job to collect evidence and reveal contradictions in the statements of those who would falsely accuse your clients.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney requires you to check your logic at the door. The legal system is not remotely like any real-world courtroom, the crimes are illogical, and the characters are over the top. However, that's all a part of the charm of the series. The game is like Law & Order on LSD; you end up throwing in with spirit mediums, action heroes, and crazy rogue police officers. These characters are all remarkably well-drawn, to the point where even the initially villainous Miles Edgeworth becomes one of the most likable and sympathetic characters in the game. The humor is spot-on if you enjoy quirky weirdness, and the cases get you thinking, even if it requires stretching the bounds of sanity at times.

This first entry in the Ace Attorney series was ported over from the Game Boy Advance, and thus has few of the perks of a DS-controlled game. You get five lengthy cases which take you from a nervous rookie to a top-notch ace attorney. The fifth case was created specifically for the DS, and includes the chance to dust for fingerprints and enjoy other investigational tools. While the game lacks much immediate replay value, it is something you'll come back to again down the line, much like a favorite novel. If you enjoy flexing your brain and a good dose of humor and weirdness, you'll find no better game than Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney...at least not until you check out the rest of the series.

Fun!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: December 30, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I got this for Christmas, wasn't sure what I would think of it; I love it! I never finished a game in my life but I finished this one in less than a week!

Starts off pretty easy and gets harder progressively. It is a lot of fun, kind of addicting :)

Take a glimpse into fantasy law by filling the shoes of Phoenix Wright.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 05, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney stars an up and coming attorney by the name of ... well ... somewhat obviously, Phoenix Wright. You will guide Wright through five cases, during which you must get your client found not guilty. The main thing to keep in mind is the objective of the game and not actual courtroom proceedings. In all cases, you will be tasked with two things: getting your falsely-accused client off the hook for murder and exposing the real culprit (although these usually go hand-in-hand). This is accomplished through investigation and courtroom proceedings. The investigation phase includes point-and click (or tap, if you want to get picky) investigation of the crime scene and related scenes and the courtroom phase includes the cross-examination of witnesses and related parties. The cross-examination is not traditional in the sense that you ask your own questions, however, each statement that a witness makes on the stand can either be pressed for more information or is contradictory to the truth, which can be proven by presenting a piece of evidence. However, if a wrong piece of evidence is submitted, the judge's trust in Phoenix's good judgment (kind of like a health bar that, once depleted, kills your case instead of you) is decreased. The game does allow you to save at any point, in addition to having a checkpoint system between phases of the trial (investigation to trial or vice versa).

After defending Mya Fey against wrongful prosecution for the murder of her sister and your mentor, Mia, Phoenix takes over the law offices. Through Mia, Phoenix is introduced to the Kurain Channeling Technique, of which they Fey family is the current master. Through Channeling, those with spiritual power can, ummmm, channel ... the dead and take their form. The channeling technique is a very important aspect to the ongoing mystery of the disappearance of Misty Fey, current head of the branch of the Fey family that is master of the Kurain Technique. This is useful in that Mia can on occasion be channeled by Mya to assist Phoenix in his cases. In one case, Phoenix must also defend his childhood friend and current courtroom rival Prosecutor Edgeworth in a case that turns out to be related to the mysterious "DL-6 incident," which establishes a numerous amount of growth of the characters and is a very suspenseful edge-of-your-seat case. After this case, Edgeworth takes some time off to do some soul-searching, and we are left to wonder if and when he will return. A bonus fifth case has been included into the DS port (the series itself was originally specific to the GameBoy Advance and released only in Japan), that makes spectacular use of the DS controls. During this case, the touch screen and microphone are used to spray Luminol fluid to detect the presence of blood, examine evidence in 3-D, and dust for fingerprints.

The graphics for Ace Attorney are very nicely drawn 2-D sprites with an anime-feel to them. The game is heavily text based and all instructions and conversations are delivered via a text box, but the tense storyline, quirky dialogue, and well-developed characters add to an enriching game. The music from the cases is very well done and fits the scene or the scenario perfectly. Overall, Ace Attorney is a title that should not be missed for the DS and has added a series to my collection that I highly anticipation each installment of.

Overall: 8.3
Gameplay: 8
Graphics: 8
Sound: 8
Value: 8
Tilt: 9

The best game ever!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 27, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I reviewed this in the uk last year and felt i needed to do it here too. For me personally, this and the second PW are the best 2 games i've ever played! Trials and Tribulations isnt out in the uk yet, but i ordered it from e-bay and i cant wait to get it!!

The characters are fantastic, and it is soooo well written. you feel like you know them personally and you want to do your best for your client. it's soo much fun watching the real culprits squirm once you find them out. the faces they pull are hilarious and scary all at once!! I love everyone in this game, including the lovely miles edgeworth! i just adore this game and i think if you dont take it seriously, and realise beforehand that there is a lot of reading to do (it really isnt that bad, it's fun!) then i think you will do fine. people who dont love this game obviously dont have a sense of humour or realise a truly fantastic game at all.

Great stories, only good game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: October 31, 2007
Author: Amazon User

To start off, I love the phoenix wright series. It is literally the reason why I bought I nintendo DS. The stories are oftentimes memorable and enjoyable, even with the plot holes riddling throughout. The only beef I really have is the game itself. There are times where you need to present evidence in a certain order where most people would assume this to be already evident and present evidence further down in the chain. I sometimes sat there dumbfounded as to what the game wanted me to do, even though I knew exactly what needed to happen... just not the order.

Those issues aside, it's a very solid purchase... not really replayable but fun nevertheless.

Objection! This is a 5 star game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 25, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Phoenix wright ace attorney is great point and click adventure that is perfect for the DS.You play as rookie
defense lawyer Phoenix Wright and take on five cases filled with excitiment,sepense,and humor.It is your job as
a defense lawyer to alwas believe in your client and to prove they are inoccent.

Investigate crime scenes,gather evidence,cross-examine witnesses,point out the lies and contridictions in
witneses testimony,and much more.

What is even more fun is in case 5 when you get to use luminol testing fluid to spray for blood stains
and dust for fingerprints by using the touchscreen to apply powder and blowing in the DS michphone to
reveal the prints.

First in the Phoenix wright trilogy and my favorite of the three.This is a game not to be missed.

A gaming masterpiece unlike any other; in a class of its own

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 06, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I must admit that like many others I was sceptical of the Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney series at first; some of it's characters looked ridiculous along with the stories that were portrayed in it and I didn't think much of it at all at first. When we think of a game which involves court, lawyers and the rules of law we would think such a game would be utterly boring and a disappointment... but Phoenix Wright is far from a disappointment. This game is very much in its own class; it is unlike any other game that you will play, believe me.

Phoenix Wright has something which many games lack; a gripping and engrossing storyline/cases and characters which anyone could adore and relate to. (from the boisterous investigator Gumshoe to the sullen prosecutor Edgeworth) This really is a crucial factor and something which makes Phoenix Wright such a wonderful game, because with the drastic turn of events that the case offers you really engage in the game and become desperate to find the truth to each case and find who truly is guilty in the end. And not to forget the intensity of each case! I found myself almost exhausted after one particularly case because of the sheer number of twists, turns and contradictions that arose in each witnesses testimony. This game seriously outperforms many good crime stories of today, even those which you may see in top programs such as CSI or Criminal Minds. Phoenix Wright's sheer creativity and originality for each case is unfounded.

In order to enjoy Phoenix Wright the most critical part to consider is what type of gamer you are. What's unique about Phoenix Wright is that it's one of those games which requires a deep amount of thought and concentration; not to mention creativity and the mind of a criminal when it comes to some cases. So, what you need to consider before you purchase Phoenix Wright is this:

If you're a fan of solving problems which require logic and thought, or enjoy playing games that offer challenges and puzzles needing to be completed (such as some of the challenges faced in Final Fantasy) then Phoenix Wright will most definitely be the game for you, because each case and testimony in court needs to examined with scrutiny in order to pick out those tiny but vital contradictions that your witnesses will make. Such has to be done in order to prove your defendant's innocence.

However, if you are particularly a first person shooter/action gamer and prefer plots which give you free rein in order to completely control what will happen, or if you dislike games which require looking at things in detail for a certain period of time then Phoenix Wright may not be for you. But a friend of mine was such a gamer and protested at first when I asked him to try Phoenix Wright, but since he tried completing the first case he has become hooked like so many others!

What's excellent about Phoenix Wright is that although the game isn't as a long as other games, (such as RPGs like Final Fantasy or some of the Pokemon gameboy games) it's cases are very engrossing and draw you into them, plus they are prolonged for certain periods of time and make the game last longer. The only reason that I gave this game 4 stars is because it's cases can at some (but rare) times drag on a bit and become a little bit too repetitive, especially when investigating evidence and pacing back and forth questioning people for advice. I found this to be a little tiring and usually had to take a break at times like this, but I was quick to resume play and get back into that buzz that you get when cross-examining witnesses in court. Nevertheless, I would strongly recommend anyone interested in playing Phoenix Wright to read the other reviews offered here and then possibly rent the game if possible (although as of now this game is quite difficult to get a hold of because Capcom greatly underestimated the amount of interest that it would receive at the time of its release) for a tester. But this is definitely a game I would recommend to anyone interested in experiencing what the DS and the fabulous Phoenix Wright series have to offer. :)

Not for everyone, but it may be for you.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 02, 2008
Author: Amazon User

While playing Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, I got the impression that the company that made it didn't spend a lot of money on it because they didn't think it would be very popular. The graphics are very minimal, but not without their charms. There's very little animation, there are no slick movie interludes or smooth transitions. There is hardly any voice acting and only a few sound effects. The music, I should add, is incredibly catchy and expressive. I found myself getting caught up in the music so much that I got distracted from the game at times.

If you want this game to be a realistic depiction of what it is like to be a lawyer, don't get it. That is not the point of this game. It's basically a fun logic and whodunit murder mystery game featuring some very endearing characters. Alternately dramatic, funny, tearjerking, and shocking, this game puts you in the shoes of Phoenix Wright, a young rookie lawyer who is starting to take cases on his own. You ask questions and look for contradictions in the courtroom, and search for clues and talk to witnesses outside. In the final case, you even get to dust for fingerprints and look for bloodstains. The plotlines are very interesting and get more complex as you progress through the game.

Gameplay is limited to clicking on things with your stylus or flipping through your inventory with the arrow buttons. It's pretty intuitive and easy to learn how to do.

This game's main strength (besides the great soundtrack) is the well-written and endearing characters and dialogue. I loved seeing Phoenix get stressed out and sweat during a trial, seeing his friend/rival prosecutor Miles Edgeworth get aggravated, Detective Gumshoe's downtrodden puppy-dog look, Maya's charming naivete, and the entertaining variety of witnesses. While not as impressively rendered as most DS games, the artwork is very expressive and often hilarious. My only gripe is that there were a few misspellings and gramatical errors that should have been caught in the translation.

Overall, I thought this game was very charming and a refreshing change from games that rely on realistic graphics wow-factor instead of great storylines and well-written characters. It gets a "Teen" rating for some blood and a few off-color jokes, but I don't think younger kids would be able to put together the pieces of these rather complex mysteries enough to understand this game anyway.

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