Those spikes on your head are softer than they look

The rules of Apollo Justice aren't necessarily the same rules that apply in a court of law. One type of rule, called interplay rules, determines the physical laws, relationships, and properties of the elements of the game. How a person feels playing the game is directly related to what the rules allow you to do or not do.
And right now, I am wondering why the game has an implicit rule that you can't throw things at stupid people. I mean, honestly, why is the bailiff letting Trucy walk into court hiding a knife-wielding ventriloquist dummy under her cape?! I feel like Apollo is the only one being restricted in this game. During the investigation sessions, the player can only explore the still frame, caricaturistic areas set in the game. The player can examine dozens of odd items and scenery within the specific areas, but Apollo is the one who ultimately decides what to record as possible evidence.



















I suppose that without this rule, there's no way I would get anything done. Actually, each time Apollo finds a piece of evidence or is able to get a certain character to spill the beans while investigating, another piece of the puzzle is unlocked. I can't get Phoenix to return to his hospital room until I've gotten Detective Skye to confess her relationship with him. And I can't get Skye to confess her relationship until I've presented evidence that suggests I am working for Phoenix Wright.

That being said, the interplay rules of the game use the player's input to determine what actually happens. While I can't control what Apollo asks when he presses the witnesses, the fact that I can press witnesses on any statement as many times as I like gives me ample opportunity to prove my client innocent. In real law, I don't think Apollo would have made it past the LSATs.

When Apollo says these three phrases, it's nice to actually hear vocalization for once. Puts an element into the game that helps me connect with the character. The audio in the game is mostly Pokemon-esque midi music, with the exception of the insane guitar riffs brought on by Prosecutor Gavin's theatrics. God, I wish I was allowed to throw the evidence in my court record at people's heads. Like that lamp with the broken bulb I was carrying around (or at least it's assumed I'm carrying it around, because I am somehow able to analyze it whenever I please. This, of course, is a game rule I am quite happy with).

And speaking of Gavin's theatrics, above is a picture of the prosecutor using air guitar to explain why he wanted the judge to deduct extra points from my status bar if I presented the wrong evidence. While Gavin is probably the hottest thing to ever walk into a courtroom, I don't think he should be telling the judge how to penalize me. The player is allowed to analyze the evidence and present it when the appropriate contradictory testimony arises...but I'm frustrated that I can't actually choose how Apollo explains his evidence. Evaluation rules (which decide which actions are rewarded or punished) come into play when Apollo presents evidence that is not appropriate for the testimony, or he chooses the wrong option to explain in an objection. The following two images show Apollo having to choose options, and then consequences that await his poor status bar when he does something wrong.

I'm completely fed up with the inability to actually do something wrong in Apollo Justice. It's completely useless to be using the DS touch screen to pour cement into a footprint mold, when there's absolutely no consequence for doing it wrong! So basically, as I mentioned before, the only way to actually lose the Apollo Justice game is to present the wrong evidence four or five times when you're cross-examining in court. The only alternative would be to become so frustrated with the investigation that you turn off the game, yank it out of the DS, and chuck it out the window/into the toilet. Then nobody would get the guilty sentence.

Hit me with the guilty verdict, G!

I love talking about the characters in pretty much any series I've seen, read, played, or heard about. And the reason I love the Ace Attorney games so much is primarily for the dynamic characters. I've heard Apollo Justice described as being a "novel disguised as a game". To some extent, I agree. Although I would probably amend this to say that it's an anime disguised as a game, at least in the department of characters. All of the characters in the game are created for the game, which classifies them all as fantasy characters. Since it's supposed to take place in modern-day Japan (or possibly San Fransisco in the English version), I'd have to classify them all as human characters as well.

I played through the second case, "Turnabout Corner", and I can already tell that our protagonist Apollo is going to be a transformational character. The weird part about playing as Apollo is that it's seems to be first-person POV for half of time (during investigation), and third-person for the rest (the trial). The only way I know what Apollo is doing during the investigation is by his running commentary. I said in a previous post that I felt sorry for Apollo...and I guess I still do. He's such a scaredy cat during both investigation and trial.

But! As you can see in the bottom two pics, some confidence is already transforming this poor lawyer's heart. Or...at least he understands what the lawbooks tell him (I can't say the same for Phoenix). The farther along I got into the case, the less he seemed to hide behind his assistant. This may be due to the fact that the prosecutor, who is supposed to be the antagonist (at least as far as I remembers from the previous games. The prosecutor in Justice For All actually knocks Phoenix unconscious with a whip in the middle of the courtroom) is actually not intimidating. AT ALL. The prosecutor, Klavier Gavin is actually the biggest playboy I've ever seen, and he hardly pays attention to the trial! I'm beginning to wonder if Klavier is also going to be a transformational character. Probably not for the good, however. We can't have him helping out the defense all the time like that sissy Edgeworth always did. Hahaha Edgeworth was such a pansy...okay I'll stop. We're talking about Klavier here.

The verbal interaction with Klavier Gavin clearly suggests that he is going to be obnoxiously German and obnoxiously...well, this:

I'm liking Klavier's character design. He's clearly hotter than Apollo will ever be, making him perfect for winning over the judge and getting witnesses to say whatever he wants them to. I certainly hope he actually does these things in the next couple cases...because otherwise I'm not going to have much trouble defeating him in court.

The fact that Apollo put Klavier's older brother in jail has been brought up numerous times. I'm just taking a wild guess here...but maybe the reason he's suddenly the prosecutor is because he wants revenge? Certainly it's not because he's in love with the defense attorney (I'm talking to you, Edgeworth...).

The characters reveal everything through dialogue in this game. Actually, dialogue is all that really happens in this game, hence the "novel disguised as a game" accusation. We do get some signature movements, however, that apparently Phoenix was too much of a hobo to copywright. Haha get it? Copywright. I'm so sorry ><.

Apollo Justice, getting his Objection on.





Speaking of Phoenix, he'll be Apollo's mentor for the duration of the game. He's not exactly going to help me with much, though...because these seven years has somehow changed him from a kickass defense attorney to Mr. Vague.

Backstory!!! We're getting Phoenix's backstory!!!! Yes, it's just in a passing comment...but I know we're going to at some point be dealing directly with that case from seven years ago. I'm looking at that ridiculous "Papa" hat on his head, and remembering that I haven't introduced my lovely assistant--Trucy Wright! Magician extraordinaire, Phoenix Wright's "daughter", and a person who clearly knows more about law than Apollo (which means she also knows more than her father).

Trucy is cute, I'll give her that. Her commentary is hilarious and very reminiscent of Maya Fey. I don't think a fifteen year old girl is going to become the love interest for Apollo...but I think she's going to provide a lot of needed comic relief in this game. She's an ally-type character, helping me out with pretty much EVERY task that needs accomplishing. Not that I wouldn't be able to figure it out myself...but Apollo's apparently a very incompetent cross-examiner at this point in the game.

Judging by some of the one-liner comedy that's already come up during investigation, it's pretty obvious that these two are becoming fast friends. However, if she weren't already on my side, I'd have to call her a "trickster" type character...mostly due to the theatrics she's been displaying in the courtroom. Visually, I'd say her outfit fits her personality extraordinarily well.

Another character I'm going to just briefly mention (mostly because I don't know enough about her yet) is Ema Skye, the lovely police detective in charge of investigation. I'm glad she's not a complete dumbass like the previous detective was (his name- Dick Gumshoe. Yeah. Seriously). She's CLEARLY in love with Phoenix in a similar fashion to how Edgeworth was CLEARLY in love with Phoenix. The police detective character's job is to NOT help you out with your own investigation...while also inadvertently giving you all the information, clues, and evidence you need to get through the trial. At the very least, Ema's a neutral character who looks like she might play some sort of part in the assumed final trial dealing with Phoenix. I just have a hunch about these things.

Ema Skye, telling Apollo about her previous role in Death Note.




I'm not going to get much into the minor characters, as they change with each case. But one important thing to point out about the random people you meet while investigating is that you NEVER KNOW when one of them might turn up as a witness. Also, you NEVER KNOW when the sweet, innocent girl you meet in front of the local Japanese mafia's house might just turn out to be a cold-blooded killer. Even prosecutors themselves turned out to be murderers in the previous Ace Attorney games...so I wouldn't put it past Klavier to suddenly try and kill Trucy in the middle of the courtroom. That's how we know these cases don't actually take place in a true court system.

A character triangle is apparent between the defense attorney, the defendant, and the prosecutor. However, judging by this particular case's defendant...who was innocent but really wanted a guilty verdict...I'd say it's not always going to be that easy to figure out who's on my side. The odd theatrics displayed by the prosecutor and the witnesses help to bring out Apollo's true colors as a defense attorney. Sadly, Apollo's not one for theatrics himself (the complete opposite of Phoenix, who once cross-examined a radio).

Isn't violence against hair a crime, Your Honor?

(Warning: contains spoilers for Apollo Justice)

I am very happy to be analyzing the story for Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney a full seven months after I finished the first three Ace Attorney games. It gives me a fresher look at the characters, and I've lost most of my animosity for the replacement of Phoenix.
Oh course, it helps that Phoenix happens to be the defendant in the very first case! As immersed as I am in the fandom of GyakuSai (short for Gyakuten Saiban, the original Japanese title for the Ace Attorney games), I honestly had NO IDEA Phoenix would make a cameo in this game. From what I can tell, he's going to play an important part in the plot point that ties together each case...so why the heck isn't he on the cover?! 7 years after Trials and Tribulations and Phoenix has lost his badge and become a piano playing hobo and an expert poker player, sporting facial hair and what appears to be a beanie that says "Papa" on it. Okay wait. Blogs should have an automatic reject button for when I blabber on about fandom for too long. I'm really here to analyze the story.

I've completed the first case: "Turnabout Trump", which, as I had expected based on my knowledge of the previous games, was the one-day, beginner court case that doesn't involve any prior investigation. The prosecutor for every beginning case is wimpy Winston Payne (complete with 7 more years of balding), and the judge is still the same blissfully confused old man.
Apollo Justice, on the other hand, I actually feel sorry for. He's so cute and innocent...and I believe only 22 years old.





Here's our first glimpse of the main hero.






Apollo finds himself dropped into his first case as a defense attorney, originally supposed to go to his mentor, Kristoph Gavin. Kristoph and Phoenix appear to be friends, but there's some sort of hard to describe tension brewing between them as Phoenix insists on using Apollo as his attorney instead of his friend. Poor ickle Apollo is terrified of defending someone like the great Phoenix Wright (although he apparently knows more about Phoenix's tragic downfall than I do). It doesn't help that Kristoph Gavin is an inherently terrifying person, unlike the beautiful ghost of Mia Fey who used to help Phoenix out.





Kristoph Gavin: a man who would not get away with that hair in real life.






It was clear from the very beginning of the case that Phoenix was going to be the one leading Apollo through this battle, instead of this creepy Kristoph bloke. And he did. I felt a bit unneeded during this court case. Like, that Phoenix could have represented himself or something. Because he gave me a million vague, metaphorical hints in order to prove my client innocent. The plot of the case was simple: A man with a pun-tastic name (Shadi Smith) was murdered in a bar by Phoenix Wright after a poker game. After cross-examining both Phoenix and the typical two-faced witness (Olga Orly- last name clearly for the Internet fans), it is revealed that the murderer was actually Kristoph Gavin. Woah. Wait, isn't it supposed to work like this: Kristoph Gavin : Apollo Justice :: Mia Fey : Phoenix Wright ????






Phoenix's finger: doing what it does best.





What? Apollo's unemployed already? And what's with Phoenix's daughter who he clearly did not have with Maya Fey?

Underlying plot: My guess is that Phoenix's mysterious daughter (who I'm going to assume is adopted, judging by her age), the locket with said daughter's picture (which was around the victim's neck), and the court case that stripped the great Phoenix Wright of his lawyer status will play heavy roles in the Turnabouts that follow. Daughter seems cute and peppy enough to play the role of my sidekick, so I'm going to assume we will see her again. At the end of the case, Phoenix asks Apollo to come work for him. I don't know how this is going to play out, considering he's not a lawyer anymore.

Appeal: Although the first case never has much of a mystery, I was drawn into the game because of the anticipation that more is to come. A lot of foreshadowing has been chucked in my face here. In Trials and Tribulations, 3 of the 5 cases were tied together and had an underlying plot that had me screaming in surprise as the story unfolded. With Phoenix as a main plot point in Apollo Justice, I can already tell this game will be epic. My only worry is that some might not appreciate the Phoenix Wright-based story if they've never played the other Ace Attorney games.

Apollo Justice is bound to become an expert lawyer by the end of the game. Twisted murder plots always seem to find the main characters in the Ace Attorney games. My guess is that Apollo will be relatively close to a couple of those murders. It already happened in the first case.





"Grace juice"...sure.










Ooooh. The plot thickens in the very first Turnabout!

OBJECTION! A very special introduction to Ace Attorney

I've previously been very picky when it comes to playing games. I don't know how to categorize the list of games that I've played, but a small sampling of the titles would be: every Pokemon game ever, Hamtaro Ham-Ham Heartbreak, Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, Tiny Toon Adventures Buster and the Beanstalk, and, of course the three Phoenix Wright games.

I love Capcom's Phoenix Wright series. Any video game that has me crying, laughing, screaming, and frantically searching for walkthroughs at the same time, has potential to be the Best Game Ever in my book. When I choose an anime to watch, I generally go for the titles that have interesting characters. I found out this transfers to video games when I met the love of my life: Phoenix. Last summer, when I switched on my Nintendo DS and was immediately the defense attorney for a suspected murderer...I wondered how exactly can something like this be fun? You're not watching the murder. You're not investigating the murder. You're only pointing your finger at the witness stand and shooting your mouth off, right?

Right?

This is the way I describe Phoenix Wright to my friends. Me: "You get to play as a defense lawyer!"

Friend: "Oh really? That sounds boring."

Me: "The first game has a more interesting plot than all four Twilight books put together."

Friend: "Oh really? That sounds boring."

Just kidding! In all seriousness, the plots of each episode (referred to as "Turnabouts") are mind boggling, hilarious, and highly engaging. It helps to have a vibrant cast of (anime-like) characters. It also helps that you don't play as just a defense attorney. The police detectives, witnesses, and even the prosecutors don't always do their job. It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's SUPERLAWYER! The player finds all the evidence themselves...and even meets with witnesses beforehand. When in court, the player cross-examines witnesses, points out contradictions, and presents evidence in order to prove the defendant innocent.

A typical day for Phoenix Wright:

Although originally made for Gameboy Advance, I played all three games (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney-Justice for All, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney-Trials and Tribulations) on Nintendo DS. Hardly any DS features were added to the gameplay, with the exception of a special bonus Turnabout added to the first game which involved using the touchscreen for fingerprinting.

Okay, that in no way summarized anything about the series. But this can:

That is what Phoenix Wright is all about.

That, however, is not what Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is all about. You see, they replaced the beloved Phoenix as the main character in the fourth game of what is actually called the Ace Attorney series. So...I'm going to be blogging about my adventures in the world of Apollo Justice. I certainly hope he gives me as much joy as Phoenix did.