AMN's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.

What the Game's About
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations (yes, the title has two colons in it) is the third and final title in the Phoenix Wright trilogy. You play as Phoenix Wright, a famous defense lawyer that has sworn to protect the innocent and uncover the correct path to justice. The game plays much like a classic adventure point and click game from the mid 1990s that companies like Sierra and Lucasarts were pumping out. You'll take part in both investigation and the trial proceedings of five different cases to prove the innocence of the accused.

What's Hot
The story in Trials and Tribulations is quite enjoyable. It has an overall theme that's broken up across five trials, and each one is unique, entertaining, and humorous. The dialogue is a major strong point in the series, and Trials and Tribulations is no exception. For a game that was released years ago on the GBA in Japan, it's surprising that the localization team has managed to make the game so in line with current humor and storytelling standards.

As the final send off for the trilogy, the game does a great job at wrapping up the Phoenix Wright saga. Newcomers may need to deal with the fact that they don't have any sort of emotional connection going into the game, but fans of the series will be well pleased with the grand finale. The game also sports some cameos and appearances by your favorite characters from the trilogy as the game plays out..

What's Not
Trials and Tribulations suffers from the classic Capcom recycling issue. The animations used in this game are the same that you've seen in the past two titles of the series…and they get used a lot. It won't hurt your overall enjoyment of the game, but we felt it was a bit disappointing that such a fine franchise is prone to such a great amount of recycled assets.

Another bit of a bummer is that if you haven't picked up the first two games in the series, you're going to possibly run into some trouble doing so. It's not completely necessary to have experienced the first and second game in the series, but it sure helps if you have.

Pacing might be another issue for newcomers, but fans already know what to expect. The Phoenix Wright games are long (this one clocks in around 10-15 hours), and most of the time you're either reading text or studying a scene. Unless you know what to expect, and you can handle a deliberate pace, you may find yourself turned off immediately.

Final Word
We're big fans of Phoenix Wright for many reasons, and Trials and Tribulations showcases each one quite well. Sure, the game is very slow paced, but it's also packed full of some of the most entertaining writing and intelligent point and touch gameplay you'll find on the DS. These games were originally developed for the GBA, and they don't incorporate a lot of the DS hardware features, but just having them here in North America in any form is enough to make us happy. This game is an excellent title for the old school point and click adventure fans or those looking for something that's close to an interactive novel. The game is suitable for both kids and adults and the save anywhere feature makes it a great game to always have packed in with your DS when you're on the road. Here's hoping that future Ace Attorney titles (which are out now in Japan) make a bit better use of the DS when we see them make the trip across the pond.