The resurgence of adventure video games and the easy-to-use touch screen interface of the Nintendo DS have created a match made in heaven, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is one of the first titles born from this singular love nest. Japanese gamers have received a flood of similar games, but for the rest of us, the selection has been quite limited. Nonetheless, if you are still looking for innovative games on the Nintendo DS, and you still have not caught up with Trauma Center: Under the Knife or Lost in Blue, I recommend that you take a trip down legal lane, and experience how fun a court room can actually be.

Facts and Features:

• Surprisingly addictive court-room drama!
  
• Unique use of the Nintendo DS’s features.
  
• Phoenix’s first US appearance!
  
• Innovative gameplay.
  

All Rise!
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is a sequel/remake hybrid of the Japan-only Gyakuten Saiban, and while this is only the first game of the series to reach the US market, this is actually the third installment in Japan. The first two games were released on the Game Boy Advance, but there is little – if any – chance of seeing these titles released in the US.

The game puts you in the shoes of rookie attorney – yeah, you guessed it – Phoenix Wright, as he prepares for his first real life case. No more books to read, no more “fake” trials as practice, just the real deal. This is actually a great way to start up the game, because unless you are an attorney yourself (no, we are not looking at you, Thompson), you are most likely a newbie when it comes to legal actions.

However, this is not a game about murder; this is a game where you have to help your client – whoever they may be – get a “Not Guilty” verdict, even if they are indeed guilty as charged. Each of the game’s cases is divided into two parts: the investigation sequence, where mysterious evidence hides behind every corner, and the other is the most fun part of the game: the Court Phase.

Phoenix’s first assignment is to defend his old friend Larry Butz from a murder accusation. The chapter serves as a tutorial of sorts, in which you start with a brief cut-scene where you can see some of the events that occurred, ultimately leading you into the trial at hand. Each level starts in a similar way, so you will never start a trial without knowing at least part of the story behind it. Coincidentally, most of these cases have some kind of connection to Phoenix himself.

Before each case, you will have to analyze every crime scene, search for clues that can help you in the outcome of your trial, and interview witnesses. The intuitive control – thanks to the touch-screen – fits like a glove, and you will have no problem highlighting anything in the game with the “examine” command. The game's cut-scenes are composed of still shots that are scarcely animated, and yet have such clever and humorous instances that it is hard not to pay attention to what goes on outside the courtroom. In these “investigation” cut-scenes, you also get a chance to visit and interview neighbors, and even police-officers, to gather more necessary information.


The characters are… colorful.

As the trial begins, you will have to listen to the witnesses’ statements, analyze each of the answers, and find mistakes in their testimonies. You do this by looking at many dialogue boxes that will give you “multiple choices” -- one of them being the correct answer. After listening to the witness, you will have the option to present evidence you have found in the investigation sequence (proving them wrong, if that is the case), cross-examine each statement (line-by-line examination), or simply proceed to the next step.

It is not as easy as it sounds, though. Sometimes the witness will throw something at you that is perceptibly not quite right, so what do you do? Why not shout a loud “Hold it!” to stop it? Just give a good old shout into the microphone. It is extremely satisfactory, and somewhat of a stress-reliever. After that, you can examine each of the witness’s lines to see if there are any discrepancies between the accusations, the evidence you have gathered, and even their own testimonies.

All evidence is very specific, so do not expect hard-to-crack mysteries when it comes to deciphering the importance of each piece of data. For instance, each item you acquire for investigation purposes will have a picture, and a brief, but to the point description that will always give you a little clue about the importance of said article, and how it relates to the overall case.