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

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the Ace Attorney series has again resurrected itself on Nintendo DS, but not without a huge turnabout of the most jaw-dropping sort: series mainstay Phoenix Wright has been benched in favor of the eponymously noisy Apollo Justice, an attorney even greener and less knowledgeable than Phoenix himself ever was; although he does have the same penchant for spiky hair.

visuals

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is the first game in the canon to be made from the ground-up for DS -- the others were ports of GBA originals -- and it shows. The 3D evidence handler present in the final case of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is now standard fare, and nearly every clue in the game can be examined from any angle.

While the game is still primarily presented in 2D, it's clear that character animations and have been vastly improved; nowhere is this more obvious than in prosecutor Klavier Gavin's in-court air guitar solos. In addition, some of the minor production tweaks that have been introduced really put some "oomph" into the presentation, like when the camera zooms in on the standard 2D overhead map of the crime scene to look at the location in full 3D from several different angles. Sure, it's in black and white with near stick-figure character models, but it's still freakin' cool.

audio

The first thing that's obvious once court begins is that Apollo is a lot louder than Phoenix Wright. Considering the young attorney performs his "Chords of Steel" vocal workout every morning at five o'clock, this isn't too surprising, but his "Objections!" nearly tear down the foundation of the courtroom. Not that it's a bad thing -- if anything it underscores Apollo's terrier-like tenacity and enthusiasm, which contrasts him quite a bit from his predecessor. Where Phoenix would be plagued with self-doubt and constantly second-guessing himself, Apollo often charges ahead without even considering that there might be consequences; although both heroes tend to get themselves out of sticky situations.

The soundtrack for Apollo Justice was done by Toshihiko Horiyama, who notably composed the music for Mega Man X, and his score is without a doubt the best since the first game. Instrumentation isn't particularly different from other offerings, but the Apollo's "I proved a point!" track is inspiring, Trucy's theme illustrates her disarming charm, and Klavier is generally accompanied by distorted guitar licks, appropriate considering his occupation.

gameplay

Anyone who's played any of the previous entries already has an idea what to expect from Apollo Justice. Apollo Justice has to connect the clues gathered in the field and in court to prove his client's innocence. Evidence can be viewed and presented with the touch screen, and Apollo's job in court is to pick apart witnesses provided by the prosecution. The game flows in a strongly linear fashion, much like a PC graphic adventure, the only occasional hiccup being that sometimes the exact next step to take is hard to determine.

Like its predecessors, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney features a engrossing story, which is generally the primary motivation for continuing progression. While seven years have past since the last Phoenix Wright game, Apollo's story contains a surprising number of links to the previous stories, although to say much more would be to risk spoiling it for newer players. One surprising twist, however, is the total absence of any mention of the Fey family. Sure, it may not have much relevance to what's happening to Apollo or his client at any given time, but it would be nice to know that Maya didn't accidentally walk under a thresher or something. For all the player knows, both Maya and Pearl have been kidnapped for the entire length of time since the last game.

Perhaps most important is the update to gameplay. The new ways of handling and gathering evidence are like a breath of fresh air; and the story, while it doesn't answer every single question fans may have, is as interesting as ever, and includes a huge shocker in the very first case as good as nearly any in the series. Just as Apollo approaches his cases with a different attitude than Phoenix, so does he have a far different relationship with his primary rival. Prosecutor Gavin, who is a rock star in his spare time, actually seems to be friends with Apollo on several occasions, even to the point of giving him a backstage pass to one of his concerts.

multiplayer

N/A

overall

Despite fears that a new stable of characters would prove less interesting than the established cast, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney manages to hold up to its predecessors in nearly every way. With nearly every loose end tied up by the time the credits roll, the only real question is how the developers can come up with a new story for the next game, as Gyakuten Saiban 5 is reportedly already in development. Fans of one of the most unique DS series out there won't be disappointed.

9.1/10