I feel like it also establishes Gumshoe as a good person, and Maya gets to not be depressed. It’s great for character development and also the actual case is pretty cool too.
I think a character that doesn't get enough credit in the first game is Gumshoe. He goes from genuinely antagonistic in the first case - I mean, he literally _arrested Maya_ - to an extraordinarily likeable, trusted ally by game's end. Making Edgeworth the defendant in Turnabout Goodbyes was genius on so many levels, and one of them was allowing Gumshoe to develop: he sees that Edgeworth trusts Phoenix, so he begins to trust Phoenix.
while von karma absolutely is meant to be taken seriously, the singular most funny moment in the game is when he reveals his ATM number out of pure arrogance
i have a theory/headcanon that it was just conjecture. he also mentions having a granddaughter with a dog but we all know franziska doesn’t have any spouse or kids, and whenever we see von karma or he is referenced, the only other child under his care was miles. this leads me to believe that he was just sayin shit during the trial to prove a point
@@kai.raio.OBJECTION! Von Karma is said to have two daughters, the younger being franziska, and raising miles after the death of Gregory. However, the older sister’s age or name is never revealed. It’s possible that the older sister is over 18 and was already married when franziska was born. This is plausible due to Manfred’s age.
@@kai.raio. HOLD IT! The phoenix wright Wikipedia page for Manfred Avon Karma claims that he has 2 daughters, the younger being franziska, along with raising Miles after the DL-6 incident
@@kai.raio. This information was stated in the GS2 fanbook, and, after reading through the entry again, it confirms my beliefs that the elder is married and has a child. This would be the granddaughter in question. This is mentioned again in Manfred’s page on court_records.com, quoting the extract in the GS2 fanbook, confirming it’s credibility. Nothing is known about the elder sister other than her existence, that she’s married, that she has a child with her partner, and that they have a dog.
i’ve watched a lot of retrospectives made by hardcore ace attorney fans and none of them really remember to mention just how intensely shocking mia’s murder was. it makes sense, considering most longtime fans of the franchise just… accept mia’s death. like, “oh yeah, mia dies, moving on”, but it really knocked the wind out of me the first time i played it. apparently the first turnabout wasn’t even fully planned to be the introduction, but needed to be there as a tutorial and was added afterwards. which is crazy to me, that mia’s death wasn’t planned as this “pull the rug out” twist that it 100% feels like.
I dunno, maybe it's the fact that "the mentor dies" trope is so common (or at least appears to be common), that fans believe they should've seen it coming in retrospect?
I think it's because while her death was quite shocking, we still continue to see her throughout the story through her sisters. And so, over time it's easier to accept as we haven't completely lost her.
Ace Attorney became popular from its conception. You point at a guy for making a minor spelling mistake and send him to actual prison. Who wouldn’t want to do that?
3rd case was there to establish Edgeworth's motivations, he doesn't care about just winning but he has another side that despises crime. Even the gag of him not being able to get names out of witnesses serves to question Edgeworth's motto, he is the prosecution, the one that proves someone is guilty and has control over every witness. Those witnesses should be on his side but no, they work against him by hiding evidence and effectively overruling his authority. The case he thought was so clear cut really falls apart when Vasquez takes the stand and it hits him at that moment that there are no sides, there's only a murderer that is waiting to be found.
Exactly. A lot of people just take 1-2 at face value and that he's outright trying to cheat to get innocent people declared guilty, but that doesn't make sense considering his trauma and motivations. He HATES criminals, he wouldn't want guilty ones to get away and punish innocents. People are kinda buying into Edgeworth's own front that he's a prodigy prosecutor that knows everything in advance and can never be wrong - but he has to be for there to be the story the games tell.
I love the Ace Attorney series as a whole, but the first one will always be my favorite. It's a complete and memorable experience from beggining to end. Even if it never got any sequels, it would still be revered as a cult classic.
yeah i agree,i wish to erase my memories just to re-experience ace attorney and throughout my years of completing each and every game,miles edgeworth investigations will always be the best imo
The 5th case really does add a lot to the story in my opinion. It especially showcases Edgeworth's growth since we last saw him. In this case, he keeps fighting for the truth with everything in him instead of seeing Phoenix as an enemy of his "guilty veredict", even at the very possible cost of his own job. It shows us how he's free from the shackles of Von Karma at last. Not to mention that it allows us to get to the bottom of his "forging evidence" rumors, that haven't been properly addressed so far. And the case is HUGE and very convoluted, with clear parallels to Turnaround Goodbyes (old closed case being digged up in light of recent events where the young traumatized kid is thought to be the suspect, as a starter). It really is an amazing addition and follow-up to the first 4 cases, and not just some "filler bonus"
I dunno if the rest of the people agree, but, I like having a Third case that doesn't connect much to the maim story. With the first case usually being a throwaway tutorial, second case switching things up, and the final case being big and changing the status Quo... It's just nice to have a case that establishes the status Quo to begin with. A case that shows what a regular case looks like. This is a game series about a lawyer doing his job, not about the specific drama of his life. Just imagine if there WAS no Case 3. Imagine if Phoenix did a trial to save his friend, did a trial to find his mentor's murder, and then did a trial to save his other friend. Everything is personal to him. Doesn't he come off as... Selfish? He only defends those who are close to him? That version of Phoenix seems kinda weird. Without Case 3, we wouldn't get to see Phoenix and Maya do some actual, unbiased lawyering. Actually defending ANYONE who needs it. And just imagine without Case 3. Going from Edgeworth being a stuck up ass, to having to defend him, with no inbetween
When I first played AA1 as a teenager all those years ago as a teenager, I remember stopping after Turnabout Goodbyes for several years, not wanting to ruin what felt like such a complete, perfect ending. And while I did eventually get around to playing the rest of the series, I’ve always appreciated AA1 as it’s own little self contained story, with a clear cut progression of ideas and characters that I don’t think any other game in this series has really attempted. I’m really glad I’m not the only one who feels this, since a lot of the fandom kinda writes this one off for having some real first game energy (1-2 is definitely a bit of a letdown as part of a wider series). Fantastic video, especially for such a small channel, subbing and sharing this one around
My partner and I are playing through the original trilogy and I had forgotten just how "final" everything feels at the end of Goodbyes. I dunno. There's just something about this first game that speaks to me. Thanks for checking out this video and taking a chance on a new channel!
Thanks! This is one of those games where picking up all the foreshadowing you missed the first time around is part of the fun. It's kind of like re-reading a good mystery novel, I guess.
TH-cam has done a great job of showing me people with small subscribers that actually make quality content. I thought I was watching like a 100K youtube channel here and not only you have a bit over 1K subs, but you've also done only TWO videos? You definitely deserve more recognition!
Thank you so much for your kind words (and for checking out the channel)! I'm trilled at the reaction these videos have been getting and can't wait to share more with everyone.
I understand the importance of the first game, but I prefer it as the building blocks of what came after. I am super glad for the series being what it is.
TBH as someone who recently finished AA I feel like the third case is there to establish “Hey Edgeworth isn’t a bad person despite being the antagonist!” Also I’ve been binging your videos even for games I haven’t played and I’m loving them!
Honestly? The original trilogy is... Special. Much more special than what came after, except maybe Edgeworth's games, which feel like an extension of that trilogy.
I totally agree! These games are lightning in a bottle. I hope Capcom puts out the Edgeworth games on modern platforms like they've been doing lately. Fingers crossed!
The series gets too bloated in the second trilogy. Thats why the prequel duology was such a breath of fresh air, setting it a century in the past with an entirely separate cast of characters breathed new life into the game for me and made those games feel just as special as the first three.
Just completed the game an hour ago and I cannot agree more with you. The game really lets you feel like you're the newbie trial lawyer guy with spikey hair. He doesn't know much in the first case, despite that Larry isn't the murder. As the game goes on he'll grow much more into his position becoming self-confident and will gain courage. And player will experience simultaneously the same! Starting with nothing and later facing von Karma, searching the truth behind all those lies and screaming together with Phoenix "OBJECTION!". Such a great game, it's now one of my favourites. Great video, love your channel and your video structure.❤
Genuinely, I was talking to my friend about how Von Karma feels like the final boss, which is really impressive for a visual novel. In the first game, usually you can press witnesses and get a hint at which line if the right one to object to, here, in the final case, any pressing of the witness is immediately countered with an a deep, booming "OBJECTION!" blocking the player off from more info unless it's relevant to the case.
i really liked the first ace attorney... but i also really, really, REALLY liked trials and tribulations. "bridge to the turnabout" is just a masterpiece in storytelling
@@Jev_the_fluorescent_shrimp the fact that it has just 2 good cases is why it sucks - even filler cases are better in other games than the circus one. and Franziska just isn't that good of an antagonist compared to Edgeworth and Godot
@@Jev_the_fluorescent_shrimp I think I would've preferred if the two good JFA cases were somehow split between the original and T&T so it could've been an even better dilogy
@@Jev_the_fluorescent_shrimpis case 4 actually that important though? Idk I find it really overrated personally. It has some character development yes but you can totally skip it if you're replaying the games (and I always do)
I think as it's aged, Ace Attorney 1 more heavily relies on the novelty of it's own premise to make it's case (lmao) as opposed to particularly engaging mysteries or character writing, and makes some questionable pacing decisions in the midgame. The 2nd and 3rd cases specifically. For someone so powerful, Redd White winds up being comically easy to take down, and Turnabout Samurai has no business being a 3 day case. Taken individually, they dont hold up quite as well as i would've hoped That is, until the final case (Rise from the Ashes notwithstanding), and you understand what everything's been building toward. When taken as a singular package, AA1 really does hold up almost as well as I remembered. Better than most others
Those are good points. There's one investigation section in Turnabout Samurai that's just brutal; it goes on for WAY too long. The pacing of the individual cases definitely improved as the series went along.
It may have been brought up in the comments but one gameplay mechanic not mentioned was pressing the witness. Basically on top presenting evidence that shows a testimony is contradictory you can ask the witness to elaborate their testimony and that can sometimes cause the witness to reveal new facts that can be added to their testimony.
@@i_am_a_dot I recall hearing about the connections between Phoenix Wright and the Danganronpa games. I only played the latter, but it was interesting to hear people say that "this was put in here as a reference to Phoenix Wright", heh
@@FarelForever I have played all the mainline danganronpa games and the first phoenix wright, they really are pretty similar even sharing a lot of strengths and flaws.
AA1 tells a solid storyline formed from the actions of 1 man years ago affects the entire cast. Not to spoil the entire original trilogy, but Manfred Von Karma’s methods and decisions in the DL-6 Incident led to: Miles being adopted by Manfred/Misty’s Departure from the visit and her daughters -> Redd White gaining the information from Grossberg -> Mia becoming an attorney under Grossberg -> Defending Phoenix(AA3) -> Phoenix becoming an attorney under Mia -> Downfall of Redd White -> Edgeworth not becoming Von Karma 2.0 -> Downfall of Von Karma His desire for a perfect record makes him arguably the most important character in the franchise
*Fun Fact:* When making the first game back in 2001, Shu Takumi held off on adding too many references to Japanese culture in case it was localized in the West. Of course, that didn't happen until the DS remasters, so they went full steam with Kurain Village in Justice for All.
I´m glad this series is so sprawling. I had broken ankle so I binge watched ALL of them (well, at least those which were translated). If all of this content would be in ONE game, boy, that would be chaos!
Just subbed to your channel after watching this video and your Final Fantasy one. Your style is great: informative, well edited, and most importantly, charismatic. A lot of video game essayists are so droll. I hope you keep making videos and if you do, I look forward to your channel getting huge.
Thank you for watching and subscribing! It really means a lot. There are two videos in production right now with several more planned for after that. Making these vids has been a lot of fun (I wish I had started sooner) and I'm glad people are checking them out. Sending positive vibes your way!
Great video, almost cried. I’m currently on the third case of Trials and Tribulations and I could not be happier AND any more devastated that I’m one and a half cases away from finishing the trilogy. I completely agree with you here, the first game was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, and while the sprawling, growing enormous narrative it became is also great, it’s nice how each installment feels like both a part of the bigger puzzle, and it’s own little thing that still works alone. I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that Shu Takumi wanted each game to be able to be picked up by anyone regardless of whether you’ve played the previous ones, and in my opinion, he succeeded. Anyways, I don’t know where I’m going with this, but great video, for an absolutely wonderful game.
I was able to play the Ace Attorney Trilogy recently since it was on I had a free trial on Xbox Gamepass and I'm really glad I played it. However, I started on the 2nd game, because I remember watching gameplay a long time ago, so I vaguely remembered most of the twists, so I ended up skipping it. I still think the game does a really good job of allowing players to randomly start on each game in the series even though they should begin with the first one. The game is able to make references to past cases without completely spoiling them and I think it shows how stable each game is in their own right. Also, I love your editing!
as someone who started playing with the trilogy (but did watch a playthrough of the first game a long time ago) i have to agree with ya. i think so far the first game is still my favorite, not exactly bc it is the best objectively (probably one of TGAA games), but bc of its charm and simplicity (maybe not the right word). it is such a unique and cool game. if only the first game existed, it would have been amazing all on its own. it's unfortunate that the other games kinda destroy the uniqueness and self contained story of the first game, but it is also a sign that this game truly was this amazing that so many sequels and prequels and spin offs were produced as well. =D
In a vacuum, Larry seems like a significantly less annoying character than he ultimately ends up being while Edgeworth comes across as a lot shadier. As long as you ignore Rise from the Ashes, which retroactively says Edgeworth was a good boy who always believed in the evidence he was given 100% and never did anything underhanded. Y'know, like updating an autopsy report the day of a trial to better support his argument. Or coaching a witness that was caught in a lie. Or willfully suppressing evidence/testimony that went against his stance.
I paused the video about halfway through and played the game. Awesome game, I started it and then i just Had to finish it. extremely happy I saw this. Imo, the only bad part was having to see von Karma's little finger-waving animation. I don't know if it's just me, but for some reason that specifically was so infuriating to me LMAO. (Although that's fair enough, it's not like we're meant to like him.)
I’ve been replaying the second trilogy recently and something that I’ve noticed is that they really know how to make prosecutors/villains that get under your skin 😅. By all means, you should definitely play through the rest of the OG trilogy (and the rest of the series), they are very good games. You won’t regret it.
Its an adventure/visual novel hybrid. Adventure games, with their moon logic, were the dominant genre in PC gaming in the early 90s. This gaming niche has a huge presence in the past. The framing and presentation is the largest difference of Ace Attorney. Before Ace Attorney came out in English, games inspired by the original Gyakuten Saiban were predating it. Hotel Dusk being the most obvious one, released in English months before AA1.
Holy shit, I actually never noticed that they foreshadow the fact that Edgeworth was holding the gun in the wrong hand to be the shooter in the opening of Case 4.
I think this is a really helpful perspective for understanding the strangeness of Rise From the Ashes compared to other AA1 cases - whereas those are all serving one purpose, contributing solely to Ace Attorney 1, RFTA is split between being an epilogue to AA1/ set up for AA2 (Edgeworth's actions prior to his disappearance, Phoenix's behaviour when Maya is gone) and set up for AA4 (introducing Ema and with her the touchscreen aspects of investigations which would be prominent in AA4, ideas of corruption which tie into Phoenix's being disbarred). The rest of AA1 is a complete product in and of itself, as this video shows, whereas RFTA is a small part of a whole which was yet to be completed.
I love the first game as a jumping pad for the series. Its lovely to go back too as a stand alone narrative and as the starting point for the kick butt lawyer and mentor Pheonix grows into. And i love how they cap off the first trilogy by tying back into the dl6 incident. And I know the silly Americanization of the setting is just something they did for the english release. But I think it genuinely helps it feel like both a familiar and fantastical world. Makes it easier to suspend your disbelief about the actual magic in the world.
Honestly, I didn't know until like a few months ago that Turnabout Sisters isn't very popular. Then again, I did still enjoy Turnabout Big Top (Yes, the Regina thing, you know what I mean, was VERY weird and annoying, but like I said, I ended up enjoying it regardless. I honestly kinda like how dumb and over-the-top (and honestly impossible) the solution to the murder is. Either way, I just love the Ace Attorney Franchise.
I swear no matter how long the series goes on for, that original Phoenix Wright "OBJECTION!" voice line will always be my favorite. Although OG Edgeworth's is a super close second.
Very cool video, you made a lot of great points about the way that the game is built and how it drives the narrative of the characters. Hadn't really thought of it this way, even though I played the games a few times since they came out already but never stopped to look at the big picture
The first game will always be my favorite, but I don’t think I fully appreciated its narrative structure before. Thanks for that. And cheers for making use of the glorious jazz album!
First time that i watched a video of yours, the edition is amazing and i love how narrated everything in the video, you're amazing! And ace attorney is a curious game that is interesting see how it works.
Really good video! I love how great the editing is, and how well you talked about everything. Ace Attorney is one of my favorite franchises, and I'm glad that it's still getting recognition. Keep up the good work!
An interesting piece of how the sequels try to follow on the "rookie to pro" structure with the missions in the original trilogy is that, while Phoenix IS a rookie in AA1 first case, in AA2 they resort to amnesia by whack-to-the-head, and in AA3 it shows Mia's first case, not only as the beginning of Phoenix mentor's origin...but also itself leaves quite the hanging thread to follow up at the very end of the game. Even AA2's setup is interesting if you play it right after AA1 as Phoenix is established as THE lawyer...so the fact a culprit of murder tried to escape from his clutches by whacking him in the head to potentially leave him unable to defend the case (and instead only left him amnesiac...which thanks to his still lingering instincts and help from supporting cast, didn't stop him from winning) adds a layer of notoriety to Phoenix in the fact someone resorted to that. And then there's what happens much later in AA2...but that's definitely another story. But still interesting that its first case also starts with that gambit. I have zero clue to what happens in AA5 onwards to know how they get around that issue or make Phoenix work in a "first time case" as a already well known veteran in-universe though lol (AA4 is Apollo's debut as the protag so no issue there)
I finished the first game (chapter 5) a few weeks ago, and will probably be taking a few months, or maybe even a year or 2 break until I pick up the next game, which is really letting me appreciate it
The only detail I would have added for a complete retrospective is to point out that Case 2 introduced Pressing as a mechanic. That’s important as it opens up the game’s complexity in court. It’s now possible to have no obvious contradictions, press to find additional evidence, then have to go backwards in the testimony to find where a contradiction has opened up. Cases 3&4 would then use that structure heavily. It doesn’t impact the story much, but it’s a big part of why the gameplay appeals.
My favorite of the original Triology is Justice for All, but I have a soft spot in my heart for the original. It feels oddly fresh even today. AA2 is a really good Ace Attorney game, while the PW:AA feels like a good game period.
i think you are missing out on they key thing about the being released in the 2000s here. The year 2000s is easily THE BEST time for any possible franchise whether movies, games, anime of any genre to start. if those games were released in even 2010s, they wouldnt even be as popular as they are today. 2000s is the golden age of MEDIA. Back then literally anything can become popular simply because it was the rise of technology, game and anime; Back then people's standard were nonexistence, so alot of devs and artist have the time to experiment. Think of seven deadly sin, Noragami, Sword art online or literally most visual novel; most of them will absolutely do terrible if they were to released any later than the time period they were released in. On another note, you have to remember that there is a cultural difference, unlike the US who love action games and shooting games, the 2000s Japanese audience LOVE RPG and visual novel. Cause back then those 2 are the cheapest to made, EVERYONE and their mother can create a barebone RPG and visual novel; and because people's standard were nonexistence back then, everyone would try everything. There was no this game was good or this game was bad, it was oh sht its another game to play
The fact this video exists is incredibly interesting to me as I LOVE THIS GAME and have played it several times over with my Fiance, Family, Friends, ect, but it's still the only game in the series I have actually played, so all I really know of the series IS in a vacuum. 🤣 Before anyone says anything, I AM playing the 2nd one currently.
Mia's death has a really interesting bit of storytelling through mechanics: there is no tutorial for investigation segments. Sure, they're a bit more intuitive than the trials, but still, Mia has been helping you through the first one, giving you hints and explaining mechanics and concepts. Then she dies and you're left to figure out what to do on your own. It really helped sell the way that Phoenix is a bit lost without his mentor for me. You as the player feel it, because suddenly you're thrown into a new style of gameplay with no one to guide you.
Despite how weird it is, and how out there it ccan get what with... y'know spirirt medium and interviewing a parrot on stand, it's weird how, taking the whole series ina cocunt, it's *still* the most grounded of all the ames in a way. The later games really really really get silly. I get why, it's hard to be innovative in how your case go and you jsut have to up tha ante, but... at some point the latest games (I'm talking dual destiny and spirirt of jsutice mostly) really lost me.
How popular were the games on Game Boy Advance? Where they something of a sleeper hit in Japan that the west didn't get on GBA by happenstance, or did the DS remake that made them available world wide also salvage them in Japan where they might otherwise have been lost to obscurity because one Capcom executive really wanted them to succeed. Because, thinking about it, a trilogy of games released on GBA getting remakes just a handful of years later on DS is actually a bit weird. Like, the first game was only four years old when it got its remake. It had only been a year since Trials and Tribulations when the first remake happened. That's sorta strange. I'm not complaining, delighted it happened, but I would kind of like to know why.
My personal favourite ace attorney game is QED. Which is a pseudo edutainment game set in ancient rome which is basically an ace attorney like not made by capcom
I still haven’t played Spirit of Justice yet, but so far I don’t think any AA game has ever been as consistently good as the first. Some have certainly reached greater heights, but they weren’t as solid across the board the way the original was. I think that’s one of the secrets to its success. There’s no case in it I would call bad, or even mediocre. The floor of this game is at good, and its ceiling goes pretty high. There’s a lot of franchises that would’ve killed to have as good a start as this.
the system that it has been made in, as in starts with the actual crime and then the case. is very similar to an old show i used to watch called columbo, check it out
i really love your analysis of each case in this video, i totally agree! it's fun considering the game as a standalone and honestly i'd still love ace attorney as much as i do even if it was just one game. it would be interesting to hear your opinion on jfa, especially the last case with matt engarde!
Ace Attorney really knows how to do a finale case and JFA is no exception! I like how the Engarde case in particular really questions the morals of what Phoenix and company are doing and looks at what he would do in that sort of situation.
ok but, now that Im thinking about it, dl-6 ruined/affected the life of a lot of people: spoiler ahead 1- The father of edgeworth /death 2- The baillif /needed to fake amnesia 3- Edgeworth /His father died the killer adopted him, and also teached him how to be a rutless prosecutor when he first wanted to be a defense lawyer 4- Maya mom /dessapeared afther the fatherof edgeworth lied cuz he thought his own son killed him 5- Maya /her mother dissapeared making her the next master of kurenai 6- the aunt of maya / now maya is the next master but pearl is a better fit, so she decides to sacrifices everything to make her daughter the next master 7- Pearl /her mother is crazy now and it is imprisoned 8 - Von Karma / going to jail for killing but also he was the one to take care of miles and literally make him almost identical to himself 9 - Franciska / the fahter she tought was the best now is a murderer, like now everything that she tought was fine now it isnt, even his step brother was none other than the son of the victim of the murder that commited her father 10 - Phoenix / like if this never happened edgeworth would not had been a prosecutor, so he would have never seen the news of the rumors of him, and then he would not had changed the career he was pursuenig, then he would not had being investigating the law the day dahlia decide to kill somenone, so he would never had known dahlia or even mia, and he would be an artist!!! Is a ducking effect butterfly!!!
The first Ace Attorney game I had was Justice for All on the D.S. (hand-me-down from my mom), I was so intrigued by the characters I knew nothing about, like who's Edgeworth? And why does it make Phoenix sad that he's not there? Why is it so important that he returns in the last case? Then the trilogy came out on XBox Game Pass and all my questions were answered in a beautiful way 😆
this is really interesting! i was introduced to Ace Attorney via the third game - they used to be really hard to find! And i think applying a lot of what you said to the third game as a standalone piece really works here too, in a way i find interesting as well. the first case simultaneously strongly sets up the main character, Phoenix - the character whose NAME IS IN THE TITLE - as the villain, asking us as the player to trust that the game would not be titled after a murderer, while also making the stakes very high and introducing the Big Bad of the game, Dahlia Hawthorne. We’re also introduced to the judge’s brother as a character who hasn’t really been there through everything our main characters have. We learn through Phoenix that characters who aren’t the murderer can still be… wrong, too, even with the best of intentions. And we’re even introduced to the idea that we may not always play AS Nick. the second case introduces us to Godot, is silly, and shows us Maya’s channeling ability. it allows us to get used to investigations, and even introduces the idea that blindly fighting for your client may have negative consequences, seeing as how proving Ron’s innocence of theft left him open to be incriminated for murder. We also just learn how much Maya and Pearl love eachother. Next, we get another silly one, but with more important lore. We learn Pearl can channel too. We learn that literally anyone can go up and pretend to be a lawyer in this insane court system. It lets us get comfortable in an established groove so it can rip it out from under us. Fourth case breaks the concept of the first case being the only short one, as we might have suspected. It sets up Edgeworth as a formidable prosecutor, gives us more Dahlia lore and really just shows how absolutely out there it is, while also setting up the location for the 5th case to take place. Finally, it sets up Godot at someone who really just is upset Mia’s dead, who cared about her dearly, and sets up the mystery of why his clothing changed and why the mask And then finally, the fifth case brings it all together, taking all the clues from before into a grand finale, resolving the overarching plot. It shows us how much Nick truly trusts Edgeworth at this point, gives us the whole “Is this Dahlia” mystery, sets up Godot as the final boss with the Franziska vs Edgeworth court battle, and ups the personal emotional stakes to 100!
Ace Attorney truly feels like a game that got one game, as a cult classic/hidden gem and never made anymore... I just love the first game so much. It's so simple, yet amazing in its characters, tension and even just music/aesthetic.
Just went through all of your videos and wanted to say congratulations on the great reception of "Games Where You're NOT the Main Character". You're obviously doing great. Don't let it stress you out.
I only played the first one in the trilogy remastered, lol. It really is fantastic. I guess if I wasn’t satisfied with it was a solo game, I would have continued 😅.
![The Eternal Shipping Wars of Ace Attorney [Objection.lol]](/img/n.gif)
Turnabout Samurai is INCREDIBLY important as the case where Edgeworth is established to be a good person.
It also establishes that Edgeworth is a weeabo for the steel samurai series
The moment when they team up is just pure serotonin rush
It established Wendy Oldbag as an iconic NPC
real and it really upsets me when people shit on it and say it's the worst case in aa1 like guys come on😭😭
I feel like it also establishes Gumshoe as a good person, and Maya gets to not be depressed. It’s great for character development and also the actual case is pretty cool too.
I think a character that doesn't get enough credit in the first game is Gumshoe. He goes from genuinely antagonistic in the first case - I mean, he literally _arrested Maya_ - to an extraordinarily likeable, trusted ally by game's end. Making Edgeworth the defendant in Turnabout Goodbyes was genius on so many levels, and one of them was allowing Gumshoe to develop: he sees that Edgeworth trusts Phoenix, so he begins to trust Phoenix.
Not to mention, he saves Phoenix and Maya from those goons in turnabout samurai.
Gumshoe from the jump seems to be someone who genuinely cares about defending the innocent, rather than being right
It's also cannon that he throws the confetti whenever Phoenix wins a case
and if you include Rise of the Ashes, you get to see more of his loyalty and sacrifice to Edgy, and Phoenix in extension
while von karma absolutely is meant to be taken seriously, the singular most funny moment in the game is when he reveals his ATM number out of pure arrogance
i have a theory/headcanon that it was just conjecture. he also mentions having a granddaughter with a dog but we all know franziska doesn’t have any spouse or kids, and whenever we see von karma or he is referenced, the only other child under his care was miles. this leads me to believe that he was just sayin shit during the trial to prove a point
@@kai.raio.OBJECTION! Von Karma is said to have two daughters, the younger being franziska, and raising miles after the death of Gregory. However, the older sister’s age or name is never revealed. It’s possible that the older sister is over 18 and was already married when franziska was born. This is plausible due to Manfred’s age.
@@gamingandcraftswithlogan8714 HOLD IT! wait when/where i am curious?? i don’t remember this detail in the games
@@kai.raio. HOLD IT! The phoenix wright Wikipedia page for Manfred Avon Karma claims that he has 2 daughters, the younger being franziska, along with raising Miles after the DL-6 incident
@@kai.raio. This information was stated in the GS2 fanbook, and, after reading through the entry again, it confirms my beliefs that the elder is married and has a child. This would be the granddaughter in question. This is mentioned again in Manfred’s page on court_records.com, quoting the extract in the GS2 fanbook, confirming it’s credibility. Nothing is known about the elder sister other than her existence, that she’s married, that she has a child with her partner, and that they have a dog.
i’ve watched a lot of retrospectives made by hardcore ace attorney fans and none of them really remember to mention just how intensely shocking mia’s murder was. it makes sense, considering most longtime fans of the franchise just… accept mia’s death. like, “oh yeah, mia dies, moving on”, but it really knocked the wind out of me the first time i played it.
apparently the first turnabout wasn’t even fully planned to be the introduction, but needed to be there as a tutorial and was added afterwards. which is crazy to me, that mia’s death wasn’t planned as this “pull the rug out” twist that it 100% feels like.
I dunno, maybe it's the fact that "the mentor dies" trope is so common (or at least appears to be common), that fans believe they should've seen it coming in retrospect?
I think it's because while her death was quite shocking, we still continue to see her throughout the story through her sisters. And so, over time it's easier to accept as we haven't completely lost her.
Ace Attorney became popular from its conception. You point at a guy for making a minor spelling mistake and send him to actual prison. Who wouldn’t want to do that?
I love how this actually happens in Justice For All
2:1? I've only played the first and I am on the second case of JFA.@@slashbows
@@LambdaHL113 Yeah, the Maggie vs Maggey debacle
@@JanneSala That's what I thought of.
Some guy messed up the time, so he committed a *murder* .
It's a small detail, but having Phoenix's brain also have Phoenix Wright hair was absolutely hilarious.
15:13 for anyone who wants to see it.
3rd case was there to establish Edgeworth's motivations, he doesn't care about just winning but he has another side that despises crime. Even the gag of him not being able to get names out of witnesses serves to question Edgeworth's motto, he is the prosecution, the one that proves someone is guilty and has control over every witness. Those witnesses should be on his side but no, they work against him by hiding evidence and effectively overruling his authority. The case he thought was so clear cut really falls apart when Vasquez takes the stand and it hits him at that moment that there are no sides, there's only a murderer that is waiting to be found.
Exactly. A lot of people just take 1-2 at face value and that he's outright trying to cheat to get innocent people declared guilty, but that doesn't make sense considering his trauma and motivations. He HATES criminals, he wouldn't want guilty ones to get away and punish innocents. People are kinda buying into Edgeworth's own front that he's a prodigy prosecutor that knows everything in advance and can never be wrong - but he has to be for there to be the story the games tell.
I love the Ace Attorney series as a whole, but the first one will always be my favorite. It's a complete and memorable experience from beggining to end. Even if it never got any sequels, it would still be revered as a cult classic.
yeah i agree,i wish to erase my memories just to re-experience ace attorney and throughout my years of completing each and every game,miles edgeworth investigations will always be the best imo
1-4 is my favourite case, it just works so well
The 5th case really does add a lot to the story in my opinion. It especially showcases Edgeworth's growth since we last saw him. In this case, he keeps fighting for the truth with everything in him instead of seeing Phoenix as an enemy of his "guilty veredict", even at the very possible cost of his own job. It shows us how he's free from the shackles of Von Karma at last. Not to mention that it allows us to get to the bottom of his "forging evidence" rumors, that haven't been properly addressed so far. And the case is HUGE and very convoluted, with clear parallels to Turnaround Goodbyes (old closed case being digged up in light of recent events where the young traumatized kid is thought to be the suspect, as a starter). It really is an amazing addition and follow-up to the first 4 cases, and not just some "filler bonus"
I dunno if the rest of the people agree, but, I like having a Third case that doesn't connect much to the maim story.
With the first case usually being a throwaway tutorial, second case switching things up, and the final case being big and changing the status Quo... It's just nice to have a case that establishes the status Quo to begin with. A case that shows what a regular case looks like.
This is a game series about a lawyer doing his job, not about the specific drama of his life.
Just imagine if there WAS no Case 3.
Imagine if Phoenix did a trial to save his friend, did a trial to find his mentor's murder, and then did a trial to save his other friend.
Everything is personal to him.
Doesn't he come off as... Selfish? He only defends those who are close to him? That version of Phoenix seems kinda weird.
Without Case 3, we wouldn't get to see Phoenix and Maya do some actual, unbiased lawyering. Actually defending ANYONE who needs it.
And just imagine without Case 3. Going from Edgeworth being a stuck up ass, to having to defend him, with no inbetween
When I first played AA1 as a teenager all those years ago as a teenager, I remember stopping after Turnabout Goodbyes for several years, not wanting to ruin what felt like such a complete, perfect ending. And while I did eventually get around to playing the rest of the series, I’ve always appreciated AA1 as it’s own little self contained story, with a clear cut progression of ideas and characters that I don’t think any other game in this series has really attempted. I’m really glad I’m not the only one who feels this, since a lot of the fandom kinda writes this one off for having some real first game energy (1-2 is definitely a bit of a letdown as part of a wider series).
Fantastic video, especially for such a small channel, subbing and sharing this one around
My partner and I are playing through the original trilogy and I had forgotten just how "final" everything feels at the end of Goodbyes. I dunno. There's just something about this first game that speaks to me. Thanks for checking out this video and taking a chance on a new channel!
It was so cool to see how gameplay aspects from the first 3 cases culminated in the 4th case. The case file/folder graphics are a great touch!
Thanks! This is one of those games where picking up all the foreshadowing you missed the first time around is part of the fun. It's kind of like re-reading a good mystery novel, I guess.
TH-cam has done a great job of showing me people with small subscribers that actually make quality content. I thought I was watching like a 100K youtube channel here and not only you have a bit over 1K subs, but you've also done only TWO videos? You definitely deserve more recognition!
Thank you so much for your kind words (and for checking out the channel)! I'm trilled at the reaction these videos have been getting and can't wait to share more with everyone.
Hey! I'm subscribed, but I'm not small. How dare you call us subscribers small.
Only upon seeing this comment did I realize how small this channel is. Absolutely deserves more recognition. Such a quality video
I understand the importance of the first game, but I prefer it as the building blocks of what came after. I am super glad for the series being what it is.
That's fair. It's still crazy to me how strong these building blocks are. Thanks for watching!
TBH as someone who recently finished AA I feel like the third case is there to establish “Hey Edgeworth isn’t a bad person despite being the antagonist!”
Also I’ve been binging your videos even for games I haven’t played and I’m loving them!
God I forgot how much of a self contained masterpiece the first game was (not that the rest of the games aren't great)
Honestly? The original trilogy is... Special. Much more special than what came after, except maybe Edgeworth's games, which feel like an extension of that trilogy.
I totally agree! These games are lightning in a bottle. I hope Capcom puts out the Edgeworth games on modern platforms like they've been doing lately. Fingers crossed!
@@i_am_a_dot if you haven’t heard, I have some good news for you there
@@i_am_a_dotTHEY DID IT 🎉🎉🎉🎉
@@mr.shplorb662 HYPE HYPE HYPE
The series gets too bloated in the second trilogy.
Thats why the prequel duology was such a breath of fresh air, setting it a century in the past with an entirely separate cast of characters breathed new life into the game for me and made those games feel just as special as the first three.
Just completed the game an hour ago and I cannot agree more with you. The game really lets you feel like you're the newbie trial lawyer guy with spikey hair. He doesn't know much in the first case, despite that Larry isn't the murder. As the game goes on he'll grow much more into his position becoming self-confident and will gain courage. And player will experience simultaneously the same! Starting with nothing and later facing von Karma, searching the truth behind all those lies and screaming together with Phoenix "OBJECTION!".
Such a great game, it's now one of my favourites.
Great video, love your channel and your video structure.❤
Genuinely, I was talking to my friend about how Von Karma feels like the final boss, which is really impressive for a visual novel. In the first game, usually you can press witnesses and get a hint at which line if the right one to object to, here, in the final case, any pressing of the witness is immediately countered with an a deep, booming "OBJECTION!" blocking the player off from more info unless it's relevant to the case.
i really liked the first ace attorney... but i also really, really, REALLY liked trials and tribulations. "bridge to the turnabout" is just a masterpiece in storytelling
JFA sucks though
@@eta0carinaeno it doesn't wtf
Cases 2 and 4 are essential to the overarching story
@@Jev_the_fluorescent_shrimp the fact that it has just 2 good cases is why it sucks - even filler cases are better in other games than the circus one. and Franziska just isn't that good of an antagonist compared to Edgeworth and Godot
@@Jev_the_fluorescent_shrimp I think I would've preferred if the two good JFA cases were somehow split between the original and T&T so it could've been an even better dilogy
@@Jev_the_fluorescent_shrimpis case 4 actually that important though? Idk I find it really overrated personally. It has some character development yes but you can totally skip it if you're replaying the games (and I always do)
this is a crazily well scripted and edited video in general, let alone for your 2nd vid
I think as it's aged, Ace Attorney 1 more heavily relies on the novelty of it's own premise to make it's case (lmao) as opposed to particularly engaging mysteries or character writing, and makes some questionable pacing decisions in the midgame. The 2nd and 3rd cases specifically. For someone so powerful, Redd White winds up being comically easy to take down, and Turnabout Samurai has no business being a 3 day case. Taken individually, they dont hold up quite as well as i would've hoped
That is, until the final case (Rise from the Ashes notwithstanding), and you understand what everything's been building toward. When taken as a singular package, AA1 really does hold up almost as well as I remembered. Better than most others
Those are good points. There's one investigation section in Turnabout Samurai that's just brutal; it goes on for WAY too long. The pacing of the individual cases definitely improved as the series went along.
It may have been brought up in the comments but one gameplay mechanic not mentioned was pressing the witness. Basically on top presenting evidence that shows a testimony is contradictory you can ask the witness to elaborate their testimony and that can sometimes cause the witness to reveal new facts that can be added to their testimony.
I never played these games, but I heard enough to appreciate this video.
They're a good time if you like/don't mind games with a bunch of talking. This video only scratches the surface of how crazy they can get!
@@i_am_a_dot I recall hearing about the connections between Phoenix Wright and the Danganronpa games. I only played the latter, but it was interesting to hear people say that "this was put in here as a reference to Phoenix Wright", heh
@@FarelForever I have played all the mainline danganronpa games and the first phoenix wright, they really are pretty similar even sharing a lot of strengths and flaws.
15:12 The spikes on the brain got me laughing
AA1 tells a solid storyline formed from the actions of 1 man years ago affects the entire cast. Not to spoil the entire original trilogy, but Manfred Von Karma’s methods and decisions in the DL-6 Incident led to:
Miles being adopted by Manfred/Misty’s Departure from the visit and her daughters -> Redd White gaining the information from Grossberg -> Mia becoming an attorney under Grossberg -> Defending Phoenix(AA3) -> Phoenix becoming an attorney under Mia -> Downfall of Redd White -> Edgeworth not becoming Von Karma 2.0 -> Downfall of Von Karma
His desire for a perfect record makes him arguably the most important character in the franchise
This is a really well made video wow especially for a second video, I'm shocked you only have a few hundred subs
Who’s here post-Investigations Collection?
*Fun Fact:* When making the first game back in 2001, Shu Takumi held off on adding too many references to Japanese culture in case it was localized in the West. Of course, that didn't happen until the DS remasters, so they went full steam with Kurain Village in Justice for All.
I´m glad this series is so sprawling. I had broken ankle so I binge watched ALL of them (well, at least those which were translated).
If all of this content would be in ONE game, boy, that would be chaos!
Another great one!! :D
Thank you! Got another one in the oven...
Just subbed to your channel after watching this video and your Final Fantasy one. Your style is great: informative, well edited, and most importantly, charismatic. A lot of video game essayists are so droll.
I hope you keep making videos and if you do, I look forward to your channel getting huge.
Thank you for watching and subscribing! It really means a lot. There are two videos in production right now with several more planned for after that. Making these vids has been a lot of fun (I wish I had started sooner) and I'm glad people are checking them out. Sending positive vibes your way!
Great video, almost cried. I’m currently on the third case of Trials and Tribulations and I could not be happier AND any more devastated that I’m one and a half cases away from finishing the trilogy. I completely agree with you here, the first game was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, and while the sprawling, growing enormous narrative it became is also great, it’s nice how each installment feels like both a part of the bigger puzzle, and it’s own little thing that still works alone. I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that Shu Takumi wanted each game to be able to be picked up by anyone regardless of whether you’ve played the previous ones, and in my opinion, he succeeded.
Anyways, I don’t know where I’m going with this, but great video, for an absolutely wonderful game.
really digging you videos, amazing editing and Video quality overall, keep up the amazing work!
Thank you! These videos have been something I've wanted to do for a while, so it's a great feeling that people are enjoying them. More are on the way!
Ok, I LOVE the Editing.
god this video gave me a whiplash on the normal flow of the soundtrack, having been so used to playing the games on 2x speed
I was able to play the Ace Attorney Trilogy recently since it was on I had a free trial on Xbox Gamepass and I'm really glad I played it. However, I started on the 2nd game, because I remember watching gameplay a long time ago, so I vaguely remembered most of the twists, so I ended up skipping it. I still think the game does a really good job of allowing players to randomly start on each game in the series even though they should begin with the first one. The game is able to make references to past cases without completely spoiling them and I think it shows how stable each game is in their own right. Also, I love your editing!
as someone who started playing with the trilogy (but did watch a playthrough of the first game a long time ago) i have to agree with ya. i think so far the first game is still my favorite, not exactly bc it is the best objectively (probably one of TGAA games), but bc of its charm and simplicity (maybe not the right word). it is such a unique and cool game. if only the first game existed, it would have been amazing all on its own. it's unfortunate that the other games kinda destroy the uniqueness and self contained story of the first game, but it is also a sign that this game truly was this amazing that so many sequels and prequels and spin offs were produced as well. =D
Great video!! And awesome thumbnail!
(After finishing it: this is sincerely some great editing)
In a vacuum, Larry seems like a significantly less annoying character than he ultimately ends up being while Edgeworth comes across as a lot shadier. As long as you ignore Rise from the Ashes, which retroactively says Edgeworth was a good boy who always believed in the evidence he was given 100% and never did anything underhanded. Y'know, like updating an autopsy report the day of a trial to better support his argument. Or coaching a witness that was caught in a lie. Or willfully suppressing evidence/testimony that went against his stance.
I paused the video about halfway through and played the game. Awesome game, I started it and then i just Had to finish it. extremely happy I saw this.
Imo, the only bad part was having to see von Karma's little finger-waving animation. I don't know if it's just me, but for some reason that specifically was so infuriating to me LMAO. (Although that's fair enough, it's not like we're meant to like him.)
I’ve been replaying the second trilogy recently and something that I’ve noticed is that they really know how to make prosecutors/villains that get under your skin 😅. By all means, you should definitely play through the rest of the OG trilogy (and the rest of the series), they are very good games. You won’t regret it.
Its an adventure/visual novel hybrid. Adventure games, with their moon logic, were the dominant genre in PC gaming in the early 90s. This gaming niche has a huge presence in the past. The framing and presentation is the largest difference of Ace Attorney.
Before Ace Attorney came out in English, games inspired by the original Gyakuten Saiban were predating it. Hotel Dusk being the most obvious one, released in English months before AA1.
just finished the first game for the first time yesterday, absolutely loved it
Great video! The argument was well-constructed and the editing was very nice! :)
Holy shit, I actually never noticed that they foreshadow the fact that Edgeworth was holding the gun in the wrong hand to be the shooter in the opening of Case 4.
I think this is a really helpful perspective for understanding the strangeness of Rise From the Ashes compared to other AA1 cases - whereas those are all serving one purpose, contributing solely to Ace Attorney 1, RFTA is split between being an epilogue to AA1/ set up for AA2 (Edgeworth's actions prior to his disappearance, Phoenix's behaviour when Maya is gone) and set up for AA4 (introducing Ema and with her the touchscreen aspects of investigations which would be prominent in AA4, ideas of corruption which tie into Phoenix's being disbarred). The rest of AA1 is a complete product in and of itself, as this video shows, whereas RFTA is a small part of a whole which was yet to be completed.
I love the first game as a jumping pad for the series. Its lovely to go back too as a stand alone narrative and as the starting point for the kick butt lawyer and mentor Pheonix grows into. And i love how they cap off the first trilogy by tying back into the dl6 incident. And I know the silly Americanization of the setting is just something they did for the english release. But I think it genuinely helps it feel like both a familiar and fantastical world. Makes it easier to suspend your disbelief about the actual magic in the world.
5:53 DANGANRONPA
Its danganronpa despair hope ahoge naegi nagito ouma game?!
Enjoyed it. Thanks
Honestly, I didn't know until like a few months ago that Turnabout Sisters isn't very popular. Then again, I did still enjoy Turnabout Big Top (Yes, the Regina thing, you know what I mean, was VERY weird and annoying, but like I said, I ended up enjoying it regardless. I honestly kinda like how dumb and over-the-top (and honestly impossible) the solution to the murder is. Either way, I just love the Ace Attorney Franchise.
Nostalgia love! I forgot excitement of the first game. It was so different and fun. Thanks for the reminder and putting it in perspective.
Best game in the series
I swear no matter how long the series goes on for, that original Phoenix Wright "OBJECTION!" voice line will always be my favorite. Although OG Edgeworth's is a super close second.
I've always thought of Rise From the Ashes as a prototype for Apollo Justice because they shares themes, mechanics, and characters.
Very cool video, you made a lot of great points about the way that the game is built and how it drives the narrative of the characters. Hadn't really thought of it this way, even though I played the games a few times since they came out already but never stopped to look at the big picture
"The mysteries the player has to solve are the most complicated, convoluted crimes ever conceived"
Professor Layton: "Hold my tea"
Ace attorney first released on GBA????
yup
The first game will always be my favorite, but I don’t think I fully appreciated its narrative structure before. Thanks for that. And cheers for making use of the glorious jazz album!
First time that i watched a video of yours, the edition is amazing and i love how narrated everything in the video, you're amazing!
And ace attorney is a curious game that is interesting see how it works.
6:03 "at your service" u mean fanservice
I like seeing works analyzed from literary view. They are stories, but introduce concepts with intent.
Really good video! I love how great the editing is, and how well you talked about everything. Ace Attorney is one of my favorite franchises, and I'm glad that it's still getting recognition. Keep up the good work!
An interesting piece of how the sequels try to follow on the "rookie to pro" structure with the missions in the original trilogy is that, while Phoenix IS a rookie in AA1 first case, in AA2 they resort to amnesia by whack-to-the-head, and in AA3 it shows Mia's first case, not only as the beginning of Phoenix mentor's origin...but also itself leaves quite the hanging thread to follow up at the very end of the game.
Even AA2's setup is interesting if you play it right after AA1 as Phoenix is established as THE lawyer...so the fact a culprit of murder tried to escape from his clutches by whacking him in the head to potentially leave him unable to defend the case (and instead only left him amnesiac...which thanks to his still lingering instincts and help from supporting cast, didn't stop him from winning) adds a layer of notoriety to Phoenix in the fact someone resorted to that.
And then there's what happens much later in AA2...but that's definitely another story. But still interesting that its first case also starts with that gambit.
I have zero clue to what happens in AA5 onwards to know how they get around that issue or make Phoenix work in a "first time case" as a already well known veteran in-universe though lol (AA4 is Apollo's debut as the protag so no issue there)
I finished the first game (chapter 5) a few weeks ago, and will probably be taking a few months, or maybe even a year or 2 break until I pick up the next game, which is really letting me appreciate it
The quality of these game analysis videos is *chefs kiss
now talk about the best one the third one
The only detail I would have added for a complete retrospective is to point out that Case 2 introduced Pressing as a mechanic. That’s important as it opens up the game’s complexity in court. It’s now possible to have no obvious contradictions, press to find additional evidence, then have to go backwards in the testimony to find where a contradiction has opened up. Cases 3&4 would then use that structure heavily. It doesn’t impact the story much, but it’s a big part of why the gameplay appeals.
My favorite of the original Triology is Justice for All, but I have a soft spot in my heart for the original. It feels oddly fresh even today. AA2 is a really good Ace Attorney game, while the PW:AA feels like a good game period.
I love how the JFA final case looked at Turnabout Samurai and went "hey what if we turned this into an absolute bonkers masterpiece?"
wow this video is so well done
This sounds fun. Now I know the source of the memes. - S.F. Nightingale
i think you are missing out on they key thing about the being released in the 2000s here.
The year 2000s is easily THE BEST time for any possible franchise whether movies, games, anime of any genre to start.
if those games were released in even 2010s, they wouldnt even be as popular as they are today. 2000s is the golden age of MEDIA.
Back then literally anything can become popular simply because it was the rise of technology, game and anime; Back then people's standard were nonexistence, so alot of devs and artist have the time to experiment. Think of seven deadly sin, Noragami, Sword art online or literally most visual novel; most of them will absolutely do terrible if they were to released any later than the time period they were released in.
On another note, you have to remember that there is a cultural difference, unlike the US who love action games and shooting games, the 2000s Japanese audience LOVE RPG and visual novel. Cause back then those 2 are the cheapest to made, EVERYONE and their mother can create a barebone RPG and visual novel; and because people's standard were nonexistence back then, everyone would try everything. There was no this game was good or this game was bad, it was oh sht its another game to play
The fact this video exists is incredibly interesting to me as I LOVE THIS GAME and have played it several times over with my Fiance, Family, Friends, ect, but it's still the only game in the series I have actually played, so all I really know of the series IS in a vacuum. 🤣 Before anyone says anything, I AM playing the 2nd one currently.
Mia's death has a really interesting bit of storytelling through mechanics: there is no tutorial for investigation segments. Sure, they're a bit more intuitive than the trials, but still, Mia has been helping you through the first one, giving you hints and explaining mechanics and concepts. Then she dies and you're left to figure out what to do on your own. It really helped sell the way that Phoenix is a bit lost without his mentor for me. You as the player feel it, because suddenly you're thrown into a new style of gameplay with no one to guide you.
exactly that combination of visual novel, crime and (wacky) humour is what makes it so great and got me into Ace Attorney
Despite how weird it is, and how out there it ccan get what with... y'know spirirt medium and interviewing a parrot on stand, it's weird how, taking the whole series ina cocunt, it's *still* the most grounded of all the ames in a way. The later games really really really get silly. I get why, it's hard to be innovative in how your case go and you jsut have to up tha ante, but... at some point the latest games (I'm talking dual destiny and spirirt of jsutice mostly) really lost me.
How popular were the games on Game Boy Advance? Where they something of a sleeper hit in Japan that the west didn't get on GBA by happenstance, or did the DS remake that made them available world wide also salvage them in Japan where they might otherwise have been lost to obscurity because one Capcom executive really wanted them to succeed. Because, thinking about it, a trilogy of games released on GBA getting remakes just a handful of years later on DS is actually a bit weird. Like, the first game was only four years old when it got its remake. It had only been a year since Trials and Tribulations when the first remake happened. That's sorta strange. I'm not complaining, delighted it happened, but I would kind of like to know why.
My personal favourite ace attorney game is QED. Which is a pseudo edutainment game set in ancient rome which is basically an ace attorney like not made by capcom
I still haven’t played Spirit of Justice yet, but so far I don’t think any AA game has ever been as consistently good as the first. Some have certainly reached greater heights, but they weren’t as solid across the board the way the original was. I think that’s one of the secrets to its success. There’s no case in it I would call bad, or even mediocre. The floor of this game is at good, and its ceiling goes pretty high. There’s a lot of franchises that would’ve killed to have as good a start as this.
Just played through the game for the first time. And I have to say, the soundtrack is amazing
Idk how, but, I feel like this video, is OUTDATED
Dude your editing is awesome! Watched this and your other videos because your presentation and topics are cool :)
Not done watching but I want to say I love your editing, like wow 😮
Your presentation is pretty good. Commenting to help that sweet sweet engagement
You deserve way more recognition! And likes! And subs! Good job! :D
the system that it has been made in, as in starts with the actual crime and then the case. is very similar to an old show i used to watch called columbo, check it out
i really love your analysis of each case in this video, i totally agree! it's fun considering the game as a standalone and honestly i'd still love ace attorney as much as i do even if it was just one game. it would be interesting to hear your opinion on jfa, especially the last case with matt engarde!
Ace Attorney really knows how to do a finale case and JFA is no exception! I like how the Engarde case in particular really questions the morals of what Phoenix and company are doing and looks at what he would do in that sort of situation.
But there is a question the game never answers, who is the *ace* attorney 🤔?
ALMOST CHRISTMAS MEANS IT WASN’T CHRISTMAS!
Brilliant video man
ok but, now that Im thinking about it, dl-6 ruined/affected the life of a lot of people: spoiler ahead
1- The father of edgeworth /death
2- The baillif /needed to fake amnesia
3- Edgeworth /His father died the killer adopted him, and also teached him how to be a rutless prosecutor when he first wanted to be a defense lawyer
4- Maya mom /dessapeared afther the fatherof edgeworth lied cuz he thought his own son killed him
5- Maya /her mother dissapeared making her the next master of kurenai
6- the aunt of maya / now maya is the next master but pearl is a better fit, so she decides to sacrifices everything to make her daughter the next master
7- Pearl /her mother is crazy now and it is imprisoned
8 - Von Karma / going to jail for killing but also he was the one to take care of miles and literally make him almost identical to himself
9 - Franciska / the fahter she tought was the best now is a murderer, like now everything that she tought was fine now it isnt, even his step brother was none other than the son of the victim of the murder that commited her father
10 - Phoenix / like if this never happened edgeworth would not had been a prosecutor, so he would have never seen the news of the rumors of him, and then he would not had changed the career he was pursuenig, then he would not had being investigating the law the day dahlia decide to kill somenone, so he would never had known dahlia or even mia, and he would be an artist!!!
Is a ducking effect butterfly!!!
The first Ace Attorney game I had was Justice for All on the D.S. (hand-me-down from my mom), I was so intrigued by the characters I knew nothing about, like who's Edgeworth? And why does it make Phoenix sad that he's not there? Why is it so important that he returns in the last case? Then the trilogy came out on XBox Game Pass and all my questions were answered in a beautiful way 😆
this is really interesting! i was introduced to Ace Attorney via the third game - they used to be really hard to find! And i think applying a lot of what you said to the third game as a standalone piece really works here too, in a way i find interesting as well.
the first case simultaneously strongly sets up the main character, Phoenix - the character whose NAME IS IN THE TITLE - as the villain, asking us as the player to trust that the game would not be titled after a murderer, while also making the stakes very high and introducing the Big Bad of the game, Dahlia Hawthorne. We’re also introduced to the judge’s brother as a character who hasn’t really been there through everything our main characters have. We learn through Phoenix that characters who aren’t the murderer can still be… wrong, too, even with the best of intentions. And we’re even introduced to the idea that we may not always play AS Nick.
the second case introduces us to Godot, is silly, and shows us Maya’s channeling ability. it allows us to get used to investigations, and even introduces the idea that blindly fighting for your client may have negative consequences, seeing as how proving Ron’s innocence of theft left him open to be incriminated for murder. We also just learn how much Maya and Pearl love eachother.
Next, we get another silly one, but with more important lore. We learn Pearl can channel too. We learn that literally anyone can go up and pretend to be a lawyer in this insane court system. It lets us get comfortable in an established groove so it can rip it out from under us.
Fourth case breaks the concept of the first case being the only short one, as we might have suspected. It sets up Edgeworth as a formidable prosecutor, gives us more Dahlia lore and really just shows how absolutely out there it is, while also setting up the location for the 5th case to take place. Finally, it sets up Godot at someone who really just is upset Mia’s dead, who cared about her dearly, and sets up the mystery of why his clothing changed and why the mask
And then finally, the fifth case brings it all together, taking all the clues from before into a grand finale, resolving the overarching plot. It shows us how much Nick truly trusts Edgeworth at this point, gives us the whole “Is this Dahlia” mystery, sets up Godot as the final boss with the Franziska vs Edgeworth court battle, and ups the personal emotional stakes to 100!
Ace Attorney truly feels like a game that got one game, as a cult classic/hidden gem and never made anymore... I just love the first game so much. It's so simple, yet amazing in its characters, tension and even just music/aesthetic.
Just went through all of your videos and wanted to say congratulations on the great reception of "Games Where You're NOT the Main Character". You're obviously doing great. Don't let it stress you out.
i played all 3 of the pheonix trilogy with my friends. the amount of thinking we thunk was incredible
damn, saw your new video and went back through your catalogue. These are all awesome videos, great work chief. Super interesting stuff.
I only played the first one in the trilogy remastered, lol. It really is fantastic. I guess if I wasn’t satisfied with it was a solo game, I would have continued 😅.
Crazy how since it's revival 5 years ago the franchise has become more popular than it ever was in the entire. ds/3ds era
I loved the first game and it blew me away in terms of the story. Amazingly written. I played on the 3ds.