Throwback Thursday - Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney (series)

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia.  While this blog is rated E for everyone's safe and enjoyable viewing, I should mention that one entry in this series (Dual Destinies) is rated M for violent imagery, language, and suggestive themes.  Parental discretion is advised for playing this particular entry.  The rest of the series is otherwise rated T for milder violence, but still suggestive themes.

Speaking of which, taking the stand this week: The games of contradictions and bold objections that is the Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney series.

The series begins with its release of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney for the GBA in Japan on October 12th, 2001, only to hit US shores many years later in 2005.  The game follows the spiky-haired, rookie defense attorney dawned in a bright blue suit that is Phoenix Wright, as he takes part in a series of high-stakes and wacky court cases to defend his clients to any ends necessary.  The gameplay comes in two forms: Investigations and trials.  During investigative sequences, players will poke around crime scenes to gather clues and learn valuable information from witnesses and police alike.  Then it comes time to take all this valuable intel and put it to use in the courtroom, where players will listen to testimonies, press for further details, and call out any inconsistencies using their hard-earned evidence.  I'll admit, I never jumped into the series at first due to the fact that it seemed like a rather simple and linear experience with little replay value.  But how foolish I was, as this has become one of my favorite game series.  While yes, it tells a straightforward linear narrative, there is an immense satisfaction to be found when finding and dramatically presenting the contradictions yourself only to be found through gameplay and your direct involvement.  Because of the fantastic soundtrack and the incredibly expressive animations, every twist and turn in the story is amplified to riveting effect.  And there's a surprising amount of depth to be found in this story-driven game as the many court cases later hold various connections building up to an epic and grand finale.

The series has since continued with five more games in the main series and numerous other spin-offs.  Each new entry in the series brings a little something new to the table.  In Justice for All, players use an enchanted necklace called the "magatama" to break "psyche locks" when cross-examining witnesses hiding the truth.  Apollo Justice introduces not only a new attorney, but the ability to "perceive" witnesses by looking closely to identify nervous ticks / tells.  Dual Destinies uses a new system called the "mood matrix", in which players can analyze witnesses' moods and look for inconsistencies in their moods with their testimonial statements to press for further information.  And in Spirit of Justice, players can perform "divination seances" to examine the memories of the victims just before their death.  While incorporating these clever and new mechanics to each game in the series, each game also continues the longstanding narrative in interesting and contemplative ways, as it examines the delicate balance of the justice system and what it means to fight for the truth.

What holds next for this exciting series's future?  Capcom has made numerous statements that 2018 should be a great year Ace Attorney fans, with a new title in the works for the Nintendo Switch slated for fiscal year 2019 (so sometime from now to April 2019).  Since we didn't see anything announced at E3 this year though, we'll just have to HOLD IT until ready to take the courts again.  As long as they keep delivering these thrilling and incredibly expressive of this impeccable quality, I certainly have no OBJECTION!