Guilty until proven innocent: these are the words the Ace Attorney series follows. This series takes place in Japan, where cases are stacked heavily against defendants. The moment the client is arrested, they have to fight a steep uphill battle where they will most likely be found guilty. So what would the point be of playing a game as the defendant–why even bother? “OBJECTION”, despite all odds stacked against him, defendant Phoenix Wright serves as a beacon of hope to his clients not only proving his client’s innocence, but proving who actually did it. So then let the trial begin.

Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright is a game originally released on October 12th, 2001, by Capcom and gained shocking success. Due to its popularity, the series now consists of six main series games and five spinoffs. As of September 2019, it sold 7.2 million units worldwide. The series has also been on a variety of consoles originating on the Game Boy Advance, to the Nintendo Ds, the Wii, PS4, Xbox one, and most recently, the Nintendo Switch, the version that this article will be covering.

Released on April 8th, 2019, Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright Trilogy is a rerelease of the original first three games. While the story of each game remains the same, the overall graphics gain a complete upgrade. The original eight bit graphics are upgraded to a smoother, cleaner style. Along with being a good introduction to the series, the game is also one of the catalysts for the popularity of visual novels in the West.

In the game, the players take the role of a newbie defense attorney named Phoenix Wright. As a defense attorney, players have to pick apart witness testimonies and prove their clients innocence. Sounds simple enough, “Wright”?. Well, players would be Phoenix Wrong: nearly every witness is hiding something, and it is up to the player to figure out what it is. In order to fully prove the client’s innocence, the player will need to pick apart the witness’s lies and uncover key facts critical to the case. The player is able to do this by listening to a witness’s testimony, and either press the witness for more details, or present bits of evidence that contradicts the witness’s claims. 

Along with courtroom segments, players must gather and collect evidence to use during trials. In these moments, players are able to take a nice break from the pressure; the down time allows the game’s chapters to be split up more easily. However, these segments can occasionally drag too long, and it can get annoying having evidence that can only be used for a limited amount of time.

Overall, The Ace Attorney Trilogy is an absolute treat for those who are fans of the series, and to those who want to get into the series. While in a game with over fifteen cases, there will be a few cases that are much better than others, but the game is still able to maintain it’s fun little quirky charm. With that said: In the case of whether or not Ace Attorney is a good game, the defense finds the game GUILTY of being a really good game. Case closed.