TAKE THAT! Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney smashes the prosecution!

[fogbadge]

id say the investigations are the same as theyve ever been

Hello! I apparently haven't posted in this thread before, somehow? Maybe I had too much brand loyalty to Layton when I first joined SmashBoards, idk...

Anyway, AA is a great franchise that I have some love for every entry in! I have been playing TGAA and have thoughts.

Spoiler: TGAA Case 1-4 Thoughts (No Major Spoilers, But, Like, Opinions and Stuff)

I'm really enjoying the game overall! I went into it knowing it was plausible it would end up being one of my favourite video games of all time and I am yet still pleasantly surprised by a lot of it overall.

The historical setting really helps the world feel a bit more grounded and a bit less one lawyer has the worst luck in the world. It makes sense that the deck would constantly be stacked against Naruhodo because of who he is and what he is trying to do, which I quite like...

I honestly don't know if the Investigation sections are just better in this game then in past ones or if I'm just an older and more patient person then when I first played the original trilogy, but I am enjoying Investigation sections more then I ever have in a mainline (i.e., not AAI or crossover) AA game before! The settings are all fun to interact with, it feels like I always know where to go, and the Dances of Deduction are a great spin on the AA format.

The courtroom systems are all great too. The mechanics returning from the crossover are great to see and I have enjoyed jury trials too. It's all just generally a fun time.

The art is all fantastic and the spritework is great. I'm already enjoying the arcs everyone appears to be going through. It also doesn't feel like we've had a true filler case? Everything feels important, one way or another, which I quite like. The second case also managed to be a good Sherlock parody/psuedo-adaptation without feeling too self-indulgent, which is a careful balance to strike.

The only real drawback is... the courtroom dialogue becomes quite same-y after a while? I'm used to AA games having a lot of colourful rivalries and unique interactions, but I've had two court cases in England and I am already quite tired of seeing the same three stereotypes about Japanese people being invoked every time I do literally anything. I know it's historically accurate and I don't think it is a bad thing - and I certainly don't want to tell Japanese authors how much racism should be in their game about Japanese-British relations during the height of the British Empire - but it does make the courtroom loose some of that energizing feeling that I'm used to from other AA games, where the Procesuection's snide quips make me chuckle slightly but also eagar to fight back. Instead, most of the courtroom dialogue just kind of makes me sad? Like, poor Naruhodo and Susako; they're so bogged down by racism that they don't even respond to most of the remarks, even in their internal monologues. Again, I don't think this is neccessarily bad, as not every game should be energizing like a normal AA game is, but it definitely hits different then previous rival character interactions.

i feel the racisms adds a real sense of authenticity to their version of britain its not like the attitude is any different these days

 

[Cutie Gwen]

it feels like I always know where to go

Tbf the game does point out which areas you haven't been to yet and at the point you're at now, there's not too much done tbh. Also,

spritework

these are models, not sprites. Though fun fact, there's motion capture used for GAA models

 

[Hadokeyblade]

Tbf the game does point out which areas you haven't been to yet and at the point you're at now, there's not too much done tbh. Also,
these are models, not sprites. Though fun fact, there's motion capture used for GAA models

So basically somebody had to actually act out that one really cute animation where Susato thinks for a second and then quickly points upwards.

 

[fogbadge]

Man I hope the people of the old Bailey have some thick shoes cause there must be a lot of glass on the floor

 

[amageish]

You know, I've been thinking about That investigations thing for a while
I have no idea if the investigations are More fun than usual or if I'm just More patient now That I'm older.

I havent played an Ace attorney game In years So i can't Tell lol

Yeah, there's obviously a few new mechanics and I think Susato gently nudges you on what to do next more then Maya ever did, but I also am an adult now and maybe I just like slower things now lol.

i feel the racisms adds a real sense of authenticity to their version of britain its not like the attitude is any different these days

Totally! The vibes are just really different when the prosecution is like "Japanese people are uncultured!" when you fail and everyone's like "Japanese people are doing evil sorcery!" when you succeed, relative to the previous games where the prosecution usually had a lot of creative and constantly-changing ways of insulting you.

Also, these are models, not sprites. Though fun fact, there's motion capture used for GAA models

Oh yeah, I had heard about the motion capture thing! That is exciting and does explain why the transition to 3D feels a lot more natural here then it did in some of the mainline AA games (though maybe it is also just that we haven't seen this cast before and so it doesn't feel as uncanny having them suddenly be 3D models).

 

[fogbadge]

Totally! The vibes are just really different when the prosecution is like "Japanese people are uncultured!" when you fail and everyone's like "Japanese people are doing evil sorcery!" when you succeed, relative to the previous games where the prosecution usually had a lot of creative and constantly-changing ways of insulting you.

Well

Spoiler

they are implying that there’s a reason. By the end of the first game he seems to have some respect for ryu

 

[Hadokeyblade]

Well

Spoiler

they are implying that there’s a reason. By the end of the first game he seems to have some respect for ryu

The entirety of the second game so far Is Laying Little bread crumbs of info as to why he's so racist. And Also showing him slowly Warming up to the cast.

 

[fogbadge]

if youll excuse me repeating the same old joke: this mash of scottish and english literature feels as about as natural as the actual union

Hadokeyblade your further than me i cant afford to click on that

 

[amageish]

Well

Spoiler

they are implying that there’s a reason. By the end of the first game he seems to have some respect for ryu

I don't really need a reason, honestly. It's an era where people not being racist would be a surprise; I'd rather him be a product of his time then have him having a secret sad backstory that turned him racist.

Again, I'm not saying it's a bad thing, just that it gives off quite different vibes from the usual AA formula.

 

[Hadokeyblade]

I love her outfit during the second game

if youll excuse me repeating the same old joke: this mash of scottish and english literature feels as about as natural as the actual union

Hadokeyblade your further than me i cant afford to click on that

To be honest i wasn't sure whether or not to actually put That under a spoiler tag since it doesn't actually talk about the plot itself. Just a bit on baroks character.

 

[KillerCage]

FINALLY!
I finished The Great Ace Attorney!
On to TGAA2!...
...
...
... once I do this week's spirit event.

 

[fogbadge]

Well that’s case 2 done

Spoiler

nothing like a retroactively inserted story for continuity errors. Soseki already told us he’s going him to right a novel at this point

 

[Hadokeyblade]

Well that’s case 2 done

Spoiler

nothing like a retroactively inserted story for continuity errors. Soseki already told us he’s going him to right a novel at this point

Yeah that scene was a little strange.
But as for the case itself. It wasnt retroactively inserted ito the plot, it was planned from the start like that, remember, William and Andron showed up in the first game?

 

[fogbadge]

Yeah that scene was a little strange.
But as for the case itself. It wasnt retroactively inserted ito the plot, it was planned from the start like that, remember, William and Andron showed up in the first game?

Spoiler

i meant to ask actually if that had been added in for the switch version. It was the only indication of anything else going on

mind you sir Arthur Conan-Doyle was no stranger to retroactively inserted stories that caused continuity problems so pe for the Holmes games it’s appropriate

 

[Hadokeyblade]

Spoiler

i meant to ask actually if that had been added in for the switch version. It was the only indication of anything else going on

mind you sir Arthur Conan-Doyle was no stranger to retroactively inserted stories that caused continuity problems so pe for the Holmes games it’s appropriate

Nah, it was in the 3DS version, i very much remember when the original versions came out and people complained that Adventures deliberately left details like that unexplained.

The wait for Resolve must have been ****ing painful back then. Both games cases were written at the same time, kind of a Sonic3 and knuckles kind of thing.

 

[fogbadge]

Nah, it was in the 3DS version, i very much remember when the original versions came out and people complained that Adventures deliberately left details like that unexplained.

The wait for Resolve must have been ****ing painful back then. Both games cases were written at the same time, kind of a Sonic3 and knuckles kind of thing.

well that makes this small continuity error slightly more annoying

 

[Flyboy]

There is no continuity error. I recently replayed both games and that time period is very clearly kept vague enough with small hints in the first game.

 

[fogbadge]

There is no continuity error. I recently replayed both games and that time period is very clearly kept vague enough with small hints in the first game.

Spoiler

but he said he was going home to Japan to write in the first game then says the same thing in the second and act like it’s the first they’ve heard of it. I’m pretty sure that counts as an error

 

[Flyboy]

Spoiler

but he said he was going home to Japan to write in the first game then says the same thing in the second and act like it’s the first they’ve heard of it. I’m pretty sure that counts as an error

It is not an error.

Spoiler

He says he's going to, and the first game timeskips with intentionally vague descriptions of what happens in those months to follow. The next game shows that one day after, as he makes his plans, he was arrested again. And THEN he goes back to Japan, where he creates I Am A Cat, leading to his appearance in TGAA2-1. It was planned from the start.

 

[fogbadge]

It is not an error.

Spoiler

He says he's going to, and the first game timeskips with intentionally vague descriptions of what happens in those months to follow. The next game shows that one day after, as he makes his plans, he was arrested again. And THEN he goes back to Japan, where he creates I Am A Cat, leading to his appearance in TGAA2-1. It was planned from the start.

oh i see. leave it too AA to make things convoluted

 

[Hadokeyblade]

Dr Sithe from case 3's design reminds me a lot of the Belduke family from the Layton crossover, i have nothing else to say about that, i just wanted to write it down.

 

[ShrimpScampi]

I’m partway through the first trial segment of GAA2-4 right now, and…

Spoiler: Great Ace Attorney 2 Chapter 4

inhale
AAAAAAAAAAH

Finding out the victim and accused of this chapter was a legitimate shock. The choice of prosecutor has been cool so far, though I still don’t know what’s going on with his motivations…

Also I popped off when the tall redhead said his fancy boarding school was called Temsik. Ghost Trick getting any reference/recognition is an absolute win in my book

 

[amageish]

Dr Sithe from case 3's design reminds me a lot of the Belduke family from the Layton crossover, i have nothing else to say about that, i just wanted to write it down.

Doesn't this game have a character who is... literally just Espella's design? Like... She's just Espella, but in this game? I believe she's a witness in a Game 2 case; I haven't seen her yet myself, just heard about her.

 

[Flyboy]

Doesn't this game have a character who is... literally just Espella's design? Like... She's just Espella, but in this game? I believe she's a witness in a Game 2 case; I haven't seen her yet myself, just heard about her.

She has a similar match-girl/Red Riding Hood aesthetic but I wouldn't go that far. She's a fun character with some great animations, and maybe a small reference at most.

 

[Hadokeyblade]

She has a similar match-girl/Red Riding Hood aesthetic but I wouldn't go that far. She's a fun character with some great animations, and maybe a small reference at most.

That probably spawned a number of headcanons in Japan, because in the World of anime, similar designs tend to imply a connection lol

 

[fogbadge]

a bit of research and ive learned that theres a character in this who got to keep his name from the books. well done inspector

 

[KirbyMonadoBoy]

Can we all agree that we definitely need a Ryunosuke alt if Phoenix makes it into Smash Bros.?

 

[Flyboy]

Can we all agree that we definitely need a Ryunosuke alt if Phoenix makes it into Smash Bros.?

Finally, an alt we can all agree on that makes sense! Of course if they went full on echo I'd want Edgeworth first but if Nick gets in I would LOVE the last costume to be Ryunosuke!

 

[Hadokeyblade]

Can we all agree that we definitely need a Ryunosuke alt if Phoenix makes it into Smash Bros.?

It would be really weird, as i assume that any moveset they give Phoenix would definitely be based on his MVC3/Project X Zone 2 attacks. Which have Maya showing up sometimes.

I mean, i guess you could have Susato show up in Ryu'smoveset. But it would look really weird to have Susato use some of Maya's animations. lol

 

[Flyboy]

While I do think that Phoenix and any echoes would have an assistant to help, I'd rather they not just use his MVC moveset. I think there's a whole other wealth of things Sakurai could tap in to make an AA moveset work, including one that doesn't make the assistants as specific as all that. It really depends on the way they decide to implement the character.

 

[KirbyMonadoBoy]

It would be really weird, as i assume that any moveset they give Phoenix would definitely be based on his MVC3/Project X Zone 2 attacks. Which have Maya showing up sometimes.

Hmm I'm not sure about that. I think Sakurai would want to make a unique moveset with only few similarities to the MVC3 moveset. I think of Phoenix gets into Smash, Maya won't be part of the moveset, there are enough outher possibilities how they can make moves for Phoenix.

 

[fogbadge]

Spoiler

the professor? Well well


just to be clear I’m reacting to the killer rather than harebrayne

one other thing

Spoiler

please tell me van Zieks apprentice isn’t gonna turn out to be kazuma?

 

[amageish]

a bit of research and ive learned that theres a character in this who got to keep his name from the books. well done inspector

Oh, yeah, Gregson got to keep his name - several supporting characters did. It's kind of a surprise that they picked Gregson to be the Inspector over his more-famous coworker (who is instead a cockney pickpocket), but it's nice to have the two of them.

Can we all agree that we definitely need a Ryunosuke alt if Phoenix makes it into Smash Bros.?

No question that they share enough animations and general vibes for it to work! Plus the Byleths have slightly different animations, so maybe we got even get Ryunosuke doing some of the attacks with slightly less confidence then his ancestor has...

 

[Hadokeyblade]

Spoiler

the professor? Well well


just to be clear I’m reacting to the killer rather than harebrayne

one other thing

Spoiler

please tell me van Zieks apprentice isn’t gonna turn out to be kazuma?

Isn't it obvious? Lol

 

[fogbadge]

Isn't it obvious? Lol

welly at halfway through case 3 my theory is

Spoiler

the apprentice is kazuma and he'll be prosecuting when we defend van zeiks from the reaper charge. although the reaper will probably turn out to be stronghart, that guy is super suspicious. something of the impact will be lost it is kazuma

 

[Arctiq]

I've been enjoying Chronicles so far. I didn't expect the first case to go that long. I hope the sales can convince Capcom to make an Investigations collection.

 

[fogbadge]

Spoiler

so the professor is a combo of moriarty and the bad guy from baskervilles?

 

[KillerCage]

I'm already on Case 3's trail section.
Wish me luck.

 

[fogbadge]

I'm already on Case 3's trail section.
Wish me luck.

first or second game?

 

[KillerCage]

first or second game?

Second game.
Already beat the first.