GENRE
	Adventure
	DEVELOPER
	Capcom
	PUBLISHER
	Capcom
	LOCAL WIRELESS MULTI-PLAY
	No
	Wi-Fi/GLOBAL ONLINE MULTI-PLAY
	No
	MICROPHONE
	Yes
	BUY NOW AT

Back in the golden age of gaming, adventure games thrived on the PC, and the genre was one of the driving forces in gaming. When visuals started to become more advanced, the genre started to fizzle out until it became almost non-existent. Thanks to the versatility of the Nintendo DS, Capcom has decided to revitalize the genre in its new adventure game, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Despite being quite linear, this isn't something adventure fans will want to pass up.

visuals

Phoenix Wright is composed of simple visuals with a unique feel you won't find in any other game. Mostly still backgrounds, the game paints anime-styled characters overtop when you speak with them. The characters animate minimally, and for the most part, only their mouths move when they speak. The rest of their body changes frame-by-frame depending on what emotions they show. For example, if a character becomes angry because of a flaw in their testimony being pointed out, they will switch to their angry pose until they regain their composure.

Despite the lack of animation, the visuals tell the story well and complement Phoenix Wright's humor. Characters exagerrate their emotions, bringing more life to the game than fully animated characters would. The bottom screen is primarily used for text progression, giving several conversation branchings to choose, but when you investigate an area for clues, the background will drop to the touch screen so the stylus can be used to tap on different objects.

audio

The music is good enough to warrant keeping the volume up, but not anything you're going to remember. It does a good job of setting the mood, and when the drama starts to flow, the music picks up the pace and matches the story well.

gameplay

The adventure games of old didn't rely on reflexes or dexterity, they relied on your ability to solve puzzles and think to progress through the game. Phoenix Wright is no different. You will have to accomplish two main objectives as Phoenix Wright: one, investigate crime scenes to find evidence and interrogating witnesses,; and two, persuade the jury to pass a not guilty judgment for your client.

It may sound simple, but that's not always the case. Witnesses aren't always willing to talk, and sometimes they want an object in return for their cooperation. This leads to sidequests, and they can sometimes be more of an annoyance that puts your main objective of uncovering evidence on the back burner.

In the investigation portions of the game, players utilize the touch screen to choose items they think might bring some new information to the case. Players search different areas to uncover clues to progress the story, or sometimes unlock new areas. If you come across an item of interest, it is added to your court record, which can then be used as evidence in the courtroom.

Inside the courtroom, gameplay mostly consists of picking apart the testimonies by the witnesses. As they give their version of what happened, players can press the witness for more information. If something they say doesn't add up, evidence collected in the court record can be used to contradict their stories. When you find something that contradicts their testimony, you can object by yelling into the DS, or pressing a button. You may think you will look ridiculous yelling “Objection!” into your Nintendo DS, but that's the least of your worries; people will think you are absolutely insane when they see you constantly laughing at your Nintendo DS. The one-liners, puns and dialog between the characters in Phoenix Wright will have you lol.

Phoenix Wright is quite linear with only one way to get to the ending, and offers little to entice players to give it another go. If you were to remember exactly how the story plays out, you could beat the chapters in minutes. Yet the humor and uniqueness might entice you to play through it once more. If replay value is something that factors highly into your purchases, you may want to just borrow this one from a friend.

multiplayer

N/A

overall

Unique games are one of the most appealing reasons to own a Nintendo DS, and it is because of games such as this. It puts good use to all of the features of the Nintendo DS and requires you to exercise you mind in order to become a successful attorney. Because it is so linear you may not play it over and over, but the unique nature of the game and the humor may get you to give it another go. It's been a while since we have seen a good adventure game, and hopefully this will help rekindle an interest in the genre.

8.3/10