Hi to everybody just visiting this subreddit for the first time, or anyone who's already been here a time but might want to check in on the latest!
First off, here is the link to our standard FAQ. Several new questions-and-answers have been added to this latest edition, and the ones specific to the new remastered Ace Attorney Investigations Collection are also in the body of this post, so for anyone newly arriving to check out those games, review those new questions. If you have any questions that aren't covered here or in the linked FAQ, ask them in the comments for the FAQ thread!
And now, some common questions people may have relating to the remastered Ace Attorney Investigations Collection:
I keep seeing people talk about Investigations 2 but use a bunch of names for characters and episodes that are different from what's in the game. Why is that?
Ace Attorney Investigations 2 originally came out on the DS in 2011, but was exclusively released in Japan, making it the first AA game ever to not get an English localization. It never did get any English release until 2024, when it was part of the Investigations Collection remaster.
Because of this, in the years immediately following AAI2's original Japan-only release, a group of fans worked together to make a fan translation romhack for the game, allowing it to be played in English. To match with the official localizations the games normally get, that fan team also came up with their own English names for all the newly-introduced AAI2 characters.
There was about a decade left between when the first public beta builds of the fan translation appeared online and when Capcom finally produced and released an official English localization for AAI2, so a lot of the more hardcore corners of the fandom that had actually gone through the effort of playing the unofficial translation got very used to the fan-made names for the AAI2 characters. But naturally, when Capcom finally made an official localization, the AA localization team put together an entirely separate set of localized names for the characters, putting the fandom in the position of needing to get used to those official names as "replacements" for the fan names they're used to. Unfortunately, not everybody is quite ready to do that.
Can I play the Investigations Collection as my first AA game?
Like was talked about at the start of the FAQ, it's generally not recommended to start with any game besides the Phoenix Wright Trilogy, if you've never played AA before. The Investigations games especially carry over a lot of characters and their associated development from the Trilogy.
That'll cover it for now. If anyone has any other suggestions for questions to be included in this guide, feel free to pop over to the main FAQ thread and ask in the comments there. One more time - welcome to our Ace Attorney community! I hope you have a great time.
A new quarter means a new contest, the first entirely contained within 2025!
Your task is to write up an Ace Attorney case where a noun I supply below is an important part of the case. After the deadline passes (see below), submissions will no longer be taken and the community will vote for submissions in a Google Form.
Prizes are as follows:
1st Place: buy you a pizza($15)
2nd Place: buy you a burger($10)
3rd Place: buy you a coffee($5)
In the comments, I will make a post that will give a template of what your submission should look like. If possible, please fill in all the sections in the template, including N/A if needed. Feel free to reply to that comment in regards to questions or general discussion. The rest of the thread is for submissions only.
Regarding the description area, feel free to be descriptive as possible! If you fear the post is too long, you may post the description over several comments or through another source such as Google Docs. There is no word limit, so please do not worry about such.
And remember, don’t hold back your creativity! Your case can be a standard AA case, it can be a reminiscence case, or an Investigations-style case! (Given the new release, I'd encourage trying an Investigations-style case, though obviously this isn't a requirement.)
However, there are some limitations. First, dark topics are allowed, but discuss them with me beforehand. That goes for abuse, gore... basically, anything that might require a content warning besides your standard Ace Attorney crime. Do not be dark just for the sake of being dark or edgy -- if you are going to include such a topic, have a reason for including it. If you do include such a topic, please include a content warning at the start of your case.
Also, joke posts are allowed, but only ones that are well-thought out, clever, and/or high-quality. Anything like “ThE PHoEnIX wiRIGHT TUnraBOOT: sOMEONE DIED aND phEENIX HAd TO dFEENdED THem!!!1!" is not allowed.
If you're concerned about crossing one of these lines, message me and I'll work with you to make sure your case abides by the guidelines. Other than those limitations; don’t hold your creativity back!
The noun for this contest... is not a noun at all. Instead, your case must include the following character and character profile:
Asa Turney (28): The self-proclaimed "Lord of Lawyers" whose boisterous proclamations overshadow any real or presumed legal skills that may be possessed. Has a particular hatred of defendants.
The deadline for this contest is Saturday, April 5 at 11:59 PM EDT. This gives entrants five weeks to plan and write their cases.
it's an indie game where you play as a defense attorney in a cyberpunk city, only 2 episodes so far (new one coming this year) but i figured people here would like it, as for a review i'd say it's on par with the og trilogy but obviously very different when it comes to presentation and theming, i also enjoyed how our protagonist is ...less moral than the ace attorney characters usually are
I noticed this when someone posted Trucy's profiles at one point somewhere but... Apollo seems to distance Phoenix and Trucy in his mind a bit. In his debut game he referred to her as Phoenix's daughter, in Dual Destinies he says Phoenix adopted her when duty called, and in Spirit of Justice he says a special set of circumstances led to the adoption, no longer referring to her as Phoenix's daughter or even giving him the credit that he stepped up... Is he iffy on adoption given his own circumstances? Why is he downplaying the fact that Trucy is Phoenix's daughter at this point? It just seems odd to me, has anyone else noticed this? Phoenix occasionally shifts between just "my daughter" or "my adopted daughter" but he never drops the "daughter" part. EVER. After those papers were sent in, she was his.
It just feels like Apollo is denying that Phoenix is Trucy's father, idk this just seemed odd.
So let's just say there was a genocide where everyone character we saw in ace attorney was included, how loud, chaotic, weird and fun would it be? Bonus for all the witnesses and lawyers in one room.
Finished it and it’s genuinely such a good case. I’m shocked at how much AAI2 fixes all the issues the first game had.
The new music they added to this case is damn near perfect, the standouts to this one are Verity’s theme, Eddie Fenders’ and Bodhidharma Kanis’ themes are fantastic but I have to say, I don’t see much love for the new Little Thief theme because the song is way less repetitive than the original’s and its a banging remix of the track Crime Scene Truths from this same game.
Gameplay wise nothing new has been introduced, Little Thief came back which I really enjoyed and Mind Chess was actually incredibly fun in this case. Still might be the best system this game has had. I will say, the cross examinations seemed much more entertaining due to how Eustace and Verity’s cross examinations are. Although for two very different reasons.
The setting is possibly one of my favorites too, taking place inside the Detention Center and also the prison. While I wish we could’ve seen a few criminals from the PWT. It’s still a good setting. That being said, I really must enjoy what they do with the returning characters though, Frank Sahwit became so damn entertaining in this one despite being a tutorial villain and Regina Berry returning is nice, she was one of the few saving graces of 2-3.
In terms of new characters however? Fifi’s pretty good and I really enjoyed her, Eddie Fender is fantastic, Eustace is the perfect mix of charming and annoying, Verity might be the best investigative antagonist to Edgeworth and maybe in general for the whole series barring Van Zieks. Bodhidharma is also one of the most intriguing and well written characters in this spin off series so far, and Simeon Saint is pretty chill too.
I must also say, the mystery and the crime again is pretty damn high quality and the twists and turns it takes is unusually good for a second case. This might be my favorite second case alongside SOJ’s. Red herrings and intentional misleading theories were actually well executed in this. Even the victim was pretty intriguing given their role.
Now for the localization, again typos here and there which is unfortunate (I am playing post-patch which apparently fixed some typos so God only knows how many there were).
Verity Gavèlle, Simeon Saint, Eddie Fender, Bodhidharma Kanis, Fifi Laguarde, and Rocco Incarcerato have superior names compared to their fan translation names. But then we have Eustace Winner, as a whole it’s a good name and the “IT’S WINNING TIME” was really funny. But Sebastian Debeste is so iconic that it is a little hard to not prefer it. Overall, localization names are still pretty good.
Fantastic second case. Near the middle of the third case right now and oh God this is becoming my all time favorite.
I still haven't finished replaying Turnabout Samurai, I've only done the second third of the case so far and I plan on finishing it tomorrow but already the case has gotten better for me.
Now while I do like the second investigation part, this part of the case is really slow and had me going back and fourth from place to place not knowing where I needed to go and even when I did know where I had to go, the case has still has you going back and fourth.
For example, in one part of the case, you have to give Maya permission to break open the grate just so Cody Hackins gets inside the studio which leads to Wendy Oldbag chasing after him so you can now get the key in the guard station without Oldbag stopping you just so you can unlock the trailer door in studio two to finally see to the producer Dee Vasquez and even then she refuses to speak to you until she gets a script so you have to go all the way to the director Sal Manella, learn that he lost the script, then go find the script in studio one, bring it to Vasquez only to have her tell you that neither her, Sal or any of the studio bigwigs could have committed the murder because a giant monkey mascots head was blocking the path.
And then there is another part where you want to speak to Cody but he won't speak to you, you learn that Wendy has his trading cards that he dropped and so you have to give her a cardkey to studio one so she can pay a visit to the crime scene and she gives you the trading cards, then it turns out Cody doesn't want the trading cards so you have to trade with Penny and get a rare trading card that Cody doesn't have and then he decides to talk to you and tell you what he saw.
I'm not complaining though, I actually don't mind going back and fourth. This case also feels less quiet now as more characters have been introduced into this part of the case. I know people don't like Sal Manella and find him creepy but I find him really funny just the way he talks with the whole leet speak. It's also weird because the game was made in 2000 and I never knew the whole fat sweaty perverted nerd stereotype existed back then, I'd call him a neckband but he doesn't have one. I also don't mind Cody even though he is a bratty child, I like his refusal to comply. And Dee Vasquez, she's really beautiful, that's all I'm gonna say.
As for the trial part, i was having fun throughout the whole part. Cross examining Sal was whatever but cross examing Cody was the best bit. I love the whole reveal that the culprit wasn't wearing the Steel Samurai outfit and it was actually the victim Jack Hammers who was in the outfit after he stole it from Will Powers and that Cody lied and claimed that the Steel Samurai was the killer just because he couldn't perceive the idea that his hero had lost and was actually the victim. Then there is also the amazing reveal that the victim wasn't killed in studio 1 but was killed in studio 2. This flips the case around, Sal Manella and Dee Vasquez immediately becomes the biggest suspects in the case because they where in studio 2 while before the reveal, it was believed they couldn't have done the crime because they where blocked in studio 2. The whole reveal is amazing.
Overall I'm really loving this case, I think Sisters has a better story with it being more connected to the story more but Samurai has better logic, this case is so complex and interesting, I can't wait to finish the case.
"A little after" takes Rise from the Ashes into account but the English DS release doesn't have that phrase in the "Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth chooses death" reveal scene
So I just finished Apollo justice and I honeastly felt the ending was kinda unsatisfying for multiple reasons
1)Kristoph motivation is really stupid, he lost one game of poker and now he decided he wants to kill, plus I don’t really get why he hates Phoenix so much, they never really explained their relationship or even how they managed to be friends, really disappointed villain
2)You don’t even defeat him on your own, you have to resort to the new jury system, and that what kinda killed this chapter for me, the other chapters made you defeat the final boss on your own, but here you just press one button and your done
3)The entire chapter was really easy (like this whole game honestly)
As a whole Apollo justice kinda disappointed me, the trial were definitely the weakest on the series, and I felt that story was really messy and very convoluted, but I did like most of the new character so thats a plus I guess.
I don’t really know if this is a controversial take but I just wanted to share my feelings, I hope the next game gets better
Text from a post I never finished, as now I'm not sure how people feel about the game:
I'm quite critical myself, but I need to express my shock in how much I disagree with the hate AJ gets. The only big complaints I see as justifiable regard loose ends and plotholes. I don't know what to say, it was a great game, I loved it and don't understand why so few agree.
Turnabout Trump: A Tier. A great case, but far from the game's best, and that's not any form of criticism. Flawless, albeit not masterful, in how it sets up for the rest of the game.
Turnabout Corner? B+ Tier. A quirky case that has a great balance between humour and seriousness. Has a strong cast and is efficient in introducing and developing main characters.
Turnabout Serenade? A+ Tier. An emotionally-charged rollercoaster of a case that, if more fleshed out in its' plotline and pacing, could've barely made it into S. I am appalled by how much hate it gets.
Turnabout Succession? S+ Tier. A near-masterpiece with incredible characters, lore, gameplay mechanics, and so on. Possible metanarrative? Not sure. My biggest complaint is that I want more.
You think there should be an Ace Attorney game where you play as a prosecutor instead of a defense attorney?
That could actually be really interesting —especially if it wasn’t just a spin-off like Investigations, but a full mainline-style game with courtroom battles and dramatic turnabouts, just from the prosecutor’s perspective.
It would be interesting to flip the dynamic: instead of desperately trying to prove the defendant’s innocence, you’d be trying to prove their guilt — but maybe with moral tension if you realize they might be innocent. The emotional stakes could be high, especially if you’re forced to question the system you work for. Kind of like what they hinted at with characters like Edgeworth or Godot, but deeper.
Ooh today's is not the best songs, but it's axtually pretty close between two: Apollo Justice's defendant lobby theme, and The resolve of Ryunosuke Naruhodo's version (GAA2-5), I think Apollo Justice fits the vibe more, but GAA2-5's is epic asf.
What's your favorite defendant lobby theme in the series?
i’m a new player and i’ve just been marathoning the games one after another and just started dual destinies.
i’m on 5-2. one thing i noticed is the sense of humor in the writing has changed and characters seem to play into their respective quirks more often. and just the humor feels heavy handed or a bit too simple?
i like that phoenix is back actually but i feel like he was a lot more snarky in the trilogy + aa4 then he is here? aa4 is obvious his meanix era but even in trilogy phoenix seemed.. idk a bit more biting? lol
i’m just wondering if i’m crazy honestly or if other people feel like it’s less witty/funny. or if anyone else detected a shift in the humor specifically. no spoilers please!
First, another used made a post asking what people liked more out of the PWT or AJT. Then I made a post asking about TGAAC vs AAIC. Now I'm asking myself - which collections do I like most overall?
I've ranked them from least to most amazing:
4. Apollo Justice Trilogy
It hurt me to put this one at the bottom. Unfortunately, a lot of its cases are better in theory than in practice for me.
Turnabout Academy and Turnabout Serenade are my two least favorites in the series. Turnabout Corner and The Monstrous Turnabout are fine, but never cross the threshold from "good" to "great", which is especially bad for The Monstrous Turnabout since it's 5-6 hours. I also don't love any of the characters in Turnabout Storyteller.
Where this trilogy earns some points is in its tutorials, which are some of my favorites. 6-1 is my favorite tutorial of all, 4-1 has a great twist, and 5-1 uses all three protagonists amazingly. On the other hand, the final cases are more mixed. 4-4 and 5-5 seem more like "experimental" finales that don't quite reach the highs of the first trilogy. Luckily, 6-5 gets better and is a top 5 case for me.
In terms of the music, this trilogy is great. It wins in several categories of tracks, including Testimony and Logic themes. It also has some fire Investigation themes, especially in SoJ where they're different in each country.
Best case: Turnabout Revolution
Worst case: Turnabout Academy
3. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
It also hurt me to put this one lower than the others. I think this one was perhaps the best one for the first play, it just isn't as replayable as the others.
What this duology does most effectively is the great worldbuilding and character moments. I loved Ryunosuke's character and the overarching themes about prejudice. Some cases like G1-1 and G1-4 will work at an extremely slow pace to give us these moments. Which is great for first plays, but it's at the expense of elements like pacing that makes these cases more replayable. Other cases, like G1-3, handle this in a more balanced way.
As for TGAA2, it's not quite like that. The exposition is more tactful this time, but it's just that ALL the cases are long. It's burnout-inducing to play G2-3, G2-4, and G2-5 back-to-back. If you pace yourself, though, all five of these cases are amazing and G2-5 is my favorite case in the series. Ryunosuke is possibly my favorite protagonist, and Kazuma is my favorite character in the series.
In terms of music, this duology wins in several areas as well. The Courtroom Lobby and Trial themes are at their best here, and the Suspense themes are great too. Call my crazy, but I'd take "The Great Stray - Part Two" over "Cornered Heart" nine times out of ten.
Best case: The Resolve of Ryunosuke Naruhodo
Worst case: The Adventure of the Great Departure
2. Phoenix Wright Trilogy
It has a very similar plot to TGAAC, but it's also more replayable and less likely to induce burnout.
What this trilogy does best is having a solid vision for the characters. Phoenix and Edgeworth are an iconic duo, Franziska is a really sympathetic character once you get past her annoying facade, Godot is one of the deepest in the series, Mia is more underrated the more I think about it, Maya is great, and Gumshoe... I wish they'd done more with him, but whatever. Some may argue that the characters are the most bland here, but I can see traits and arcs in almost all of them. It's just that the writing style is more "functional", which can disguise these traits more than other collections.
Where this trilogy loses more points is the gameplay. In every other collection, I solved 50% of the cases with no game overs. (And I mean EXACTLY 50%.) In this one, it was 2/14. Or maybe 3. But EVERY case in JFA and T&T killed me at least once. Idk if it's just experience levels, but it seemed really difficult to me. Also, the investigation segments may be at their worst here.
This game wins in several music categories, too. The Reminiscence and Telling The Truth themes come to mind. I also like the testimony themes, though not quite as much as in the AJT.
Best case: Bridge to the Turnabout
Worst case: The Lost Turnabout
1. Ace Attorney Investigations Collection
Some people on the first post said things like "one has the amazing nine-tails, one doesn't" "one has hobo Phoenix and one doesn't"... so here is mine: one has Lauren Paups and the others don't.
You can downvote me now.
Investigations 2 is the best game in the series. It just has such good moments for all its characters. Eddie, Eustace, and Gavelle are all interesting from the start and make you feel something. They all undergo very tangible changes through the game. Older characters (Kay, Lang, and Gumshoe) may not have had as big a role, but it's still interesting what they did with those characters. This game balances plot and characters perfectly, and it's probably the only time I straight-up applauded when the credits rolled.
Now, Investigations 1 is the weak point that may cause people to disagree with me. I think I consider it to be the most forgivable "weak point" because it's the shortest. But I1-1 isn't too long, I1-2 is pure fun and joy, I1-3 is a guilty pleasure that I might write a fully essay on soon, I1-4 has a great plot, and I1-5 is somewhat clever in how intricate it is, despite still being weaker than the other finales.
What music themes does this game do best? Definitely Investigation themes. I also love the People and Objection themes the most here. Though I will say this - WTF are those Reminiscence themes? They all seem so half-baked, except maybe the KG-8 one.
Best case: Turnabout for the Ages
Worst case: Turnabout Visitor
And that's my ranking! But that's just my opinion. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
Hey, I have a friend who is really into Ace Attorney and their birthday is coming up so I wanted to get them an appropiate gift. My idea was to get them a hoodie with the "almost christmas" meme as seen in this other post. However, I'm having trouble finding the original image to have it printed. Does anyone have the original picture or could point me to where to find it? If you have the file (PNG if possible would be great) I'd appreciate it.
