Board 8 > Anagram Aces Ace Attorney: A Phoenix Wright Playthrough Topic (spoilers)

(+) Yeah! (+)

Well yeah games get better graphics and keep making use of those further and further as they go. The 3DS games are another step up. But sprites are charming and can convey more character than imperfect 3D models, so they are never dropped.

The Marshall cross-examination is good stuff. I didn't like him as a character the first time I played, but I appreciate him a lot more now.

Meekins still the worst character in the series though

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- This is a really minor touch, but I like how the Wild West music plays while you talk to Marshall, and when he leaves and says hes sad hell never work with Ema, the music goes completely silent for the rest of the screen.
- Hm This is partly a hunch, but Im guessing Gant killed Neil Marshall for some reason and framed Joe Darke for it, and he wasnt really a serial killer.
- You know I guess the later games must have prosecutors other than Edgeworth, right? Because we hear a lot about how hes the best prosecutor around, but all weve seen of him is constant losing. The only case we know he won, he won through falsified evidence.
- I put the code 7777777 into the safe as a joke, I didnt expect it to actually work.
- I find a picture on the opposite side of an evidence list, and Phoenix decides not to tell Ema for no reason I can discern?
- Why did the game make me do the shard fitting minigame again when its literally just pressing one button?
- I thought you said you didnt care if you got fired? Yeah, but if Id known it would end up like this, I wouldnt have said it!
- Haha, I didnt expect my question about how Lana opened Edgeworths trunk to actually be answered.

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Yeah, Phoenix chooses to keep some things to himself solely for the sake of creating future drama. It's a little different when your assistant was actually involved in the crime you're investigating...!

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- I like how Chief Gant just teleports into the witness stand. Cmon, game. At least have him already standing there.
- Lana firing Phoenix is a good plot twist. Thats something I havent been talking about a lot, the crazy plot twist aspect of the game.
- I really, truly, honestly wish Id been keeping track of how many times someone objects just before the judge makes a verdict.
- Wait, why is Phoenix allowed to cross-examine Ema? He was just fired! It should be Lana doing this.
- I like how Edgeworth takes out the first part of the evidence list to check its back. I mean, first of all, he had this for two years and apparently never turned it over. I turn over every piece of paper I receive automatically to check if theres anything on the back. Second of all, the sprite clearly has nothing on the back of the paper, but then he flips out because something is there.
- The Chief of Detectives hadnt even design him until this year! Edgeworth, is English your second language? Actually, I guess it is.
- Getting the stupid jar puzzle to line up properly took me like twelve tries.
- So a child accidentally killed an adult while trying to help him in a fight. Well, we all know what this means: she has to be tried for murder, preferably fifteen years from the day of the incident.
- We certainly cant get dead people to testify, said the guy who knows a spirit medium.
- I got a ding against me because when I connected the dots, I didnt cross the A. **** the judge.
- Gants got some wacky logic here to justify why the prosecutor is always responsible.

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Make some safety saves coming up.

- I like how the judge acts like its super unusual for the defense to call a witness.
- The Chief of Police has the right to refuse to testify? Why? And why only him?
- Its kind of shocking to finally see Gant look nervous, but game, look, its way too late to have a character complain about regulations when searching for evidence. You gave that right up with April May and the wiretap.
- Its been a really long time since I literally laughed out loud at a game, but Gant flipping out and going all lightning-y got me good.
- Gant eventually refuses to testify, then teleports out.
- I like how Gant comes back just to threaten Lana in front of everyone.
- Jesus Christ, thats a lot of blood to go flying when Lana bites her thumb.
- Just gotta say once again, this game has fantastic presentation, what with Gant interrupting the testimony.
- That lightning Gant sprite is so good that it made me laugh again.
- Goddammit, even the third lightning Gant sprite got me.
- Uh Even within the logic of whats going on here, the strip of cloth may be illegal evidence in Lana Skyes trial, but a second trial of Gant is oh forget it.
- Did not expect Gants clapping explosion.
- Lana still thinks she can get a job related to crime after this? I guess in this world, it may be possible.

The first game is finally over. For the record, Steam lists me as having played for 24 hours, but that includes time I spent writing in Word and the time I had to spend getting back to where I was after the save was deleted. I'll post my thoughts on the game tomorrow.

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LIGHTNING GANT is probably my favorite sprite in the entire series

Paratroopa1 posted...

LIGHTNING GANT is probably my favorite sprite in the entire series

It might be mine too

Modeled after Zeus indeed!

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Anagram posted...

- Lana still thinks she can get a job related to crime after this? I guess in this world, it may be possible.

Oh, just you wait on how ridiculous this gets.

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Lightning Gant is my favorite damage animation in the series. It's so great.

And lining up that stupid jar to make it look like the Blue Badger is one of my least favorite things in the series. Even today when I've replayed that case at least 5 times, it takes several tries to get the game to accept it.

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I played the trilogy recently and it took me over 50 tries to get it right. I actually had to look up a youtube playthrough, pause it and then try it, and even that didn't work. on the 8th or 9th attempt I finally got it to take. and I've played 1-5 maybe 6 times. the vase is the absolute worst thing in the series by far.

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Is there any case in the series that splits the base more than 1-5? I feel like most cases at least have a general consensus as to whether they belong in, I'll say roughly the top, middle, or bottom third, but there are a lot of people out there who think 1-5 is one of the best, and a lot of people who rank it pretty low.

Anyway, as for game two, its final case is my favorite in the series, and it's not even close. The other three cases leave quite a bit to be desired though.

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I put 1-5 in the 10-15 range, but I'll also admit I don't like it now as much as I used to.

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AA2 cases are so-so (except 2-4 which is indeed perfect), but I remember loving that game because of how it purged all the annoying stuff from AA1's investigations and made the gameplay a whole lot more friendly.

1-5 is still a top tier case for me. Gant is my favorite villain in the series.

I also like the vase...!

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Paratroopa1 posted...

LIGHTNING GANT is probably my favorite sprite in the entire series

At least the best in the first game.

_SecretSquirrel posted...

Oh, just you wait on how ridiculous this gets.

I believe you.

transience posted...

I played the trilogy recently and it took me over 50 tries to get it right. I actually had to look up a youtube playthrough, pause it and then try it, and even that didn't work. on the 8th or 9th attempt I finally got it to take. and I've played 1-5 maybe 6 times. the vase is the absolute worst thing in the series by far.

Leonhart4 posted...

And lining up that stupid jar to make it look like the Blue Badger is one of my least favorite things in the series. Even today when I've replayed that case at least 5 times, it takes several tries to get the game to accept it.

It was the worst of the puzzles, yeah.

I'll be posting my thoughts and rankings soon.

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Overall Thoughts:
- Its very easy to see why people like this game so much. Its got a huge amount of charm, style, and presentation, not to mention dialogue that is just so ****ing memeable. This is one of the memeablest games Ive ever seen in my life. The combination of argument and investigation is rock solid, and the characters are mostly great. Even the characters who arent especially interesting are still fine. Phoenix and Edgeworth have a fantastic dynamic, too. Id say the weakest major link as a character is Maya, but I understand the utility of having a character with no idea of whats going on be present.
- However, this is actually the first VN Ive ever played besides Doki Doki Literature Club. If Im being completely honest with you guys, I understand the VNs arent really games side way better than I used to. This is barely a game. Im not saying that makes it bad or anything, and I did enjoy it a lot, but this is enjoyable for the story, characters, and mysteries, not for having difficult challenges or anything. If someone told me to draw the line between game and not game, I would divide them using Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Sorry if that makes me a VN elitist! Ill still be playing the next two games, at least.
- Anyway, as to the cases themselves:
- Theres nothing really to talk about with 1-1. Its not really a mystery at all, and its just there to be a tutorial. I liked Mia, too bad we ended up with the less interesting sister.
- 1-2 is a lot of fun. Redd White is entertaining as a villain, but hes just so much of a doofus that its hard to believe he could have ever become such a huge political monster. I know thats the point, but still. I said this before, but its still strange to me how avenging your mentor and your friends sister is the first thing you do.
- 1-3 is where things get a little wackier and more convoluted. 1-1 and 1-2 had mysteries that were basically normal mysteries, 1-3 is where it takes another step into being overly complicated. This is a weird comparison, but if youve ever taken math, its like the difference between precalculus and calculus: its just another layer of abstraction to puzzle your way through, except in this case its more fun. Its highlight to me is Edgeworth realizing whats happening and helping you, but other than that, Im not sure why its even in the game except to be another case. It certainly has nothing to do with the main plot aside from showing Maya and Phoenix growing into more of a team. I know there are like eight games in this series, but based solely on its anime art style, Im guessing the rest of the games are just teasing of PhoenixxMaya and nothing ever happens there.
- 1-4 is really good. von Karma is a really strong villain, having you defend your rival is a clever twist, and seeing how everything fits together is really satisfying. The only problems are that you have to show von Karma the letter that would let you easily win the case so that he can steal it and that no one would ever convict a child for throwing a gun during a fight that accidentally goes off, shut up. Overall, finally defeating von Karma with the metal detector is just so satisfying a moment that I have to call it the best part of the game.
- 1-5 is kind of frustrating, honestly? Its got a plot as complex as the DL-6 plot all in one case, which is fine, but to keep you on the rails, it forces you to not confront people with obvious evidence, not ask obvious questions, and so on. It requires a lot more logical leaps than the other cases that had better buildup, and it has a sidekick whos not quite as much fun as Maya. There are basically random things that happen, like Gant being able to not testify if he chooses but also not being able to return if he later wants to, which I assume is inspired by the real law that says you dont have to testify against yourself but if you do, then you have to answer all questions, but if so, they really took a lot of liberties with it even for this game. Sometimes the case uses obvious logic (Gant claiming that you planted the evidence in his office), then other times it doesnt, and its not as much of a problem in the other cases because they never make an attempt at being logical anyway. But unraveling the mystery is still fun, and the villain is probably even better than von Karma in terms of personality, which makes it hard to rank.
- But Ill rank them all anyway, because I know thats what people do in Phoenix Wright topics. 1-4 > 1-5 > 1-2 > 1-3 > 1-1.
- Ill be moving onto the second game at some point this week.

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Thankfully Phoenix gets a lot less dumb about showing critical evidence to killers after the first game.

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Redd White succeeding despite being such a doofus has been looking a lot more believable the past few years...!

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I played all six main games and Gant is my favorite villain overall.

A few of them came close, but nobody is as cool as Gant.

One big step forward after game 1 is not having cases with three trial days. That really did drag.

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Leonhart4 posted...

Thankfully Phoenix gets a lot less dumb about showing critical evidence to killers after the first game.

I would hope so.

LordoftheMorons posted...

Redd White succeeding despite being such a doofus has been looking a lot more believable the past few years...!

While this is true, I stand by my statement.

ZeldaTPLink posted...

I played all six main games and Gant is my favorite villain overall.

A few of them came close, but nobody is as cool as Gant.

That's too bad to hear, since now I'm done with him.

Sceptilesolar posted...

One big step forward after game 1 is not having cases with three trial days. That really did drag.

That's good to hear. 1-5 was really long.

One thing I just realized is that all of the cases were ultimately about an unplanned crime except maybe Redd White? 1-1 is unplanned, 1-3 is unplanned, von Karma killing Edgeworth's father was unplanned, and Gant killing Goodman was unplanned.

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True, but the crime behind the crime was planned in 1-4 and 1-5.

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I think unplanned murders might lead to more interesting crime circumstances as the killer is forced to improvise and take more drastic actions. We get some more planned murders later in the series and they're just as wacky though so idk

The advantage of planned murders are how far the guy goes to make a "perfect crime". So more stuff for the player to untangle.

Paratroopa1 posted...

I think unplanned murders might lead to more interesting crime circumstances as the killer is forced to improvise and take more drastic actions. We get some more planned murders later in the series and they're just as wacky though so idk

Well, I meant planning things out meticulously, Phoenix solving it anyway, and the killer having to improvise from there. Gant is sort of like that, though.

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I think the series does a good mix of premeditated and impulse murders. I'm not sure if there's even a clear advantage in the series as to which kind has more good cases.

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Favorite witnesses?

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Damon Gant > Redd White > April May > Dee Vasquez > Jake Marshall (mostly for his music) > Cody Hackins > Yanni Yogi > Angel Starr > Larry Butz > Frank Sahwit > Wendy Oldbag > Lotta Hart > Bellboy > Detective Gumshoe > Ema > Sal Manella > Lana > Office Meekins

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Meekins is over-hated.

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Leonhart4 posted...

I think the series does a good mix of premeditated and impulse murders. I'm not sure if there's even a clear advantage in the series as to which kind has more good cases.

Off the top of my head my guess would be impulse.

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Underleveled posted...

Meekins is over-hated.

Not possible

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Most people hate Meekins more than Oldbag.

Therefore, Meekins is indeed over-hated.

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NBIceman posted...

Most people hate Meekins more than Oldbag.

Therefore, Meekins is indeed over-hated.

Oldbag is the overhated one

(Lotta Hart too)

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Oldbag is over-hated as well.

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Oldbag annoyed me more than Meekins overall I suppose.

I don't recall really hating Meekins when I played this series.

Then again I don't recall hating anyone so Meekins would probably land close to the dead last if I made a character ranking.

Episode 1: The Lost Turnabout
- We open with Phoenix having a weird dream, then a weird guy bashing him with a fire extinguisher in a courthouse. Great security there. After that, Phoenix wakes up to a young policewoman telling him that its time to defend her in court. Even though Phoenix is like whore you, also who am I?, she seems confident hell win. Phoenix is among the most blas amnesiacs ever.
- How many sequels start with the protagonist having amnesia so new viewers/players/readers can get caught up to speed? Im genuinely curious. Its not super common, but Ive seen it before, too.
- Oh hey, Winston Payne is back.
- Way to go, Phoenix, just assuming her lover must be a man.
- How many times are killers going to fake having their victims write the names of other people in their dying moments and mess up with right handedness/left handedness?
- Its so weird hearing new music after getting used to the first game.
- I hate to admit this, but it took me a looooooong time to figure out to present the character profile instead of a piece of evidence.
- Winston Payne is really into that anime-style jumping back with your arms raised in a karate stance pose.
- I also hate to admit this, but I basically just guessed the baseball glove because I didnt know that you wear one on your non-dominant hand.
- Pretty good breakdown animation for Wellington, though its no Gant.
- I mean, I realize that the game is text-based, but in the real world of the game, surely the voice on the phone is obviously Wellingtons.

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Oh yeah, presenting profiles is one feature I miss in the newer games. Since it can lead to a lot of insight about the characters' relationship to one another.

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Anagram posted...

- I hate to admit this, but it took me a looooooong time to figure out to present the character profile instead of a piece of evidence.

Yeah, this is a feature you're going to have to get used to - it's a little bit weird since they added this feature in AA2 so it wasn't in AA1, but then all three of these games are part of the same bundle. There aren't any other added features like this that I can think of that aren't directly presented to you when the time comes.

Anyway, all I can say is ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU CAN PRESENT PROFILES NOW, until they take away that feature later in the series lol, but it's relevant for AA2 and AA3. You'll have to do it at least once in every case at this point I think, so it's really really important that you remember that it's part of your toolbox now.

Yeah, PW2 and 3 let you present profiles whenever, but after that, they removed that feature, which makes me sad.

Also, you wear the glove with your non-dominant hand so you can throw the ball with your dominant hand.

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But the real question, do you love large bananas?

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_SecretSquirrel posted...

But the real question, do you love large bananas?

Bananas are okay, I guess.

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Bump for later

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Episode 2: Reunion, and Turnabout
- So a doctor is like dude my nurse screwed up the medications and killed fourteen people, but died before she could admit it, so people blame me. Jesus Christ, that would be international news. Come with me so Maya Fey can channel her and make her sign a confession that she screwed up and my business can operate normally again.
- Im kind of shocked that the doctor is just wearing a normal business suit instead of a white lab coat. I understand why, but all previous people always wore their jobs clothing all the time.
- It wouldnt be an anime-style game without a sub-10 year-old girl, I guess.
- Ah, one of the traditional Japanese villages that are two hours away from Los Angeles. I love visiting these places.
- I like how the game isnt even pretending that this village makes sense if the city is Los Angeles. You couldve just said Phoenix took a flight and it would at least explain why he doesnt visit Maya more often.
- Ah, an incinerator. Perfect for murder mysteries.
- Morgan Fey, huh? I get that reference.
- Whenever I see room in fiction with a ton of candles, all I think is whose job is it to place and light and remove all of the candles? Its never explained.
- Lotta Hart shows up for the channeling with no explanation.
- And so I stop, because I misjudged how much time I had to play this morning. Will continue later.

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2-2 is a fun case, but it's definitely different than anything you've seen so far. The series starts leaning hard into spirit channeling here

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Anagram posted...

- Ah, one of the traditional Japanese villages that are two hours away from Los Angeles. I love visiting these places.
- I like how the game isnt even pretending that this village makes sense if the city is Los Angeles. You couldve just said Phoenix took a flight and it would at least explain why he doesnt visit Maya more often.

Get used to this, it's gonna get worse.

Also, the game does explain why Phoenix hasn't visited before now, but I don't know if you've gotten to that point yet.

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does the translation ever specifically say it's in LA? i feel it is very heavily implied to be california (at least west coast US) but not LA per se

i also don't think a matriarchal village that focuses on spirit channeling is particularly japanese

that said, yes, i never really thought of the game as taking place in the united states at all
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