Wow, I bet this'll be controversial. The Grand Turnabout gets ranked below a certain other case that I'm willing to bet many of you are still surprised is in. As for The Grand Turnabout itself, well, it's pretty grand. Once again, there's a lot going on, so get ready. This might very well be the most complex case in the series.

Edgeworth and his crew just got out of the tower wondering what the hell just happened (This takes place directly after I2-4) when they hear a scream. Ms. Irrelevant (Penny) pops up and says that there's another murder, because all investigation games involve murders that occur within minutes of each other. At the set of the new show Moozilla, the body of president Huang is found. The same fat guy you cross-examined in the first case of the game. That's how connected this game is. Edgey investigates the set with Lang, and eventually footage of Courtney and the president from a couple nights ago appears. That was the last anyone saw of him, so naturally Courtney is accused. However, she had no way to get the body from the roof to the set. The president never passed through the elevator or the 51st floor, so how he got to the ground is completely unknown. With no other leads, Edgeworth goes to ask Courtney some questions, who's currently presiding over the trial of Patricia Roland (The I2-2 culprit).

The trial should be pretty simple, considering that Edgeworth already solved the murder. However, all of the crucial evidence is missing. Even though she knows Roland is guilty, Courtney moves to end the trial as quickly as possible. Shields and von Karma stall her, but both are now in huge trouble considering the lack of evidence. It turns out that John Marsh, Courtney's son, was kidnapped with one request: A not guilty verdict for Roland (This kidnapping thing is getting old). Edgeworth and Kay set off to save Marsh while Courtney agrees to stall for as long as possible. They investigate the area around the tower, and eventually they find out that someone was taken by two men in black to a house. Edgeworth goes to said house, but rather than finding Marsh, they find...Debeste. The henchmen sent out to kidnap Marsh had gotten the wrong guy. Edgeworth gives Debeste a motivational pep talk, and they return together to the tower. Despite Blaise's men getting the wrong boy, someone else had kidnapped Marsh. He taunts them before hanging up right as an explosion is heard in the background. Edgeworth finds a bug in Kay's badge, and sends Gumshoe to investigate near Sunshine Coliseum. Edgeworth returns to the courtroom, and he helps Debeste stand up to his father and get Roland her guilty verdict. With all of that settled, both Marsh and Courtney are requested by Lang at the scene of President Huang's murder.

Lang now considers Marsh and Courtney as the only two possible suspects to the murder. Edgeworth proves that there was one more person in the lot that night: Blaise Debeste, who had come to dig up the "footprints". He also proved that the president was there as well, but for what reason no one knows. The autopsy finally returns, and the cause of death was by being crushed, ruling out Courtney as a suspect and placing the blame entirely on Marsh. Before any more progress can be made, Edgeworth suggests reopening the SS-5 case files, the ones that Lang consistently brings up. Lang agrees, and with some help from Von Karma and Shields, a little thief simulation is created. Edgeworth does it again, solving a 12-year old case and proving that it hadn't been a kidnapping case, but a presidential assassination. Marsh also discovers that his true father was the former president, and realizing that he may have killed his own father, he runs off. In truth, the president that died was a body double; the real one had died 12 years ago. After solving all of this, Sirhan Dogen sneaks in and asks for the location of the mastermind behind the case, his "friend". Edgeworth deduces from his testimony that Dogen found the children of Gustavia and Hoquet, who were actually Simon Keyes and Horace Knightley. Knightley is dead at this point, meaning that the true culprit and mastermind must be Simon. Simon, of all people. The guy you defended in I2-2. Edgeworth goes to confront Simon, who drops the act real quick when he realizes that Edgeworth is on to him. He says that he's not connected at all, but Edgeworth soon proves otherwise. Simon knows how the law works though, and he admits to being the cause behind Knightley's and Crane's murders. He did all of this to get back at Knightley, Blaise, and Roland, but his reasoning for Knightley was flawed. He had thought that his father was Hoquet, when in reality it was Gustavia. Simon still doesn't give up, saying that Edgeworth has no legal ground to get him arrested. Edgeworth fights back, and proves that Simon killed the body double by crushing him with the balloon, using ice to throw off the time of death, and transported it to the lot afterwards. With his plan completely found out, Simon breaks down. De Killer comes in to kill him, saying that he had broken his contract. Dogen protects Simon, since he is his only friend. De Killer escapes, and Dogen returns to prison with Simon. Edgeworth decides after this case to continue as a prosecutor rather than a defense attorney, and the case ends.

Welp, that was a lot. This case has the most characters in any case in the series, so there's still a lot to go. Edgeworth goes through a lot of development, and his choice to save people as a prosecutor is symbolic of his journey throughout the game. Lang returns, and seeing him even more determined to solve IS-7 is a welcome addition. The group of Kay, Gumshoe, Shields, and Von Karma are all their normal selves. Debeste goes through the most development, and although he disappears halfway through the game, it's awesome to see him stand up to his fears and grow as a person. Courtney also expands from the last case, learning more about what the true meaning of being a judge is. Marsh is a pretty cool guy, but he doesn't really do a whole lot besides run away and get kidnapped. His quote when he opts to not kill Dogen was pretty sweet. The returning group of Penny, Will, Nicole, Lotta, Regina, and Ema is pretty neat as well. It's cool to see them all back in the case. The villain group of Blaise, Roland, and the body double is evil as hell. Simon is one of the best villains in the series, and rather than having him be this figure-head of an evil organization, he's a lone wolf person fighting against the evil organization, but in an evil way. It's a cool contrast, and he's easily Yamazaki's best villain. Dogen and De Killer are also pretty dope.

Damn, I think that's it for this case! That took a long time to do, but we're down to the final 3! Next up, a case where Manfred von Karma is present.

#6-Turnabout Revolution



And the last SoJ case (and Apollo generation case!) is here,on the same day as another ranking (except a bit lower). This case is quite good,but has a few problems which prevent it from being in my top five. What are those? Well,let's get right into it!

The opening is actually rather casual. You're watching TV when suddenly Dhurke (whom I will be calling Daddy Dragon for the rest of this ranking because I find his relationship with Apollo just heartwarming~) just storms into the office and asks Apollo to help. Then things just build up from that.

The presentation,for a final case,is pretty freaking fantastic. The settings all look gorgeous,and the new animations for the characters are stellar. Even the cutscenes look vivid in a sense. The scene in the caves is also very fresh and surprisingly new. I like that this case goes in some new and different ways. It hearkens back to ye olde glory days of AJ. The music here is wonderful. I love the new stuff,like Atishon's theme,Daddy Dragon's theme and its variations,Amara's theme,and the wonderful credits theme.

The gameplay is just as vivid and fresh as ever. The tesimonies here are quite hard,and the investigations a joy to play through. The puzzle with the Orb's box was really clever,and the perceive stuff was also mostly clever and incredibly subtle. The Mood Matrix here was alright,but once again,the forensic The Divination Seances were also rather clever,though the last one ended abruptly. The thought routes were both quite nice. I'm surprised by the lack of Psyche Locks,though. It's all that's needed to have pretty much all the major mechanics in this case.

The pacing is about as abrupt as any other SoJ case. The first part is just divided into one big investigation and one big trial,like 6-2. The second part,however,has its investigation and trial split into THREE PARTS. EACH. It's odd and uneven (does that sound redundant?),and makes no sense,really.



The mystery and the story were super cool mostly,but have a few flaws. Let's talk about the first part with the Civil Trial first. It's neat in the way you go back to Kurain village,and really establishes this beautiful continuity. It was fanservice that actually felt free and fully fresh. Then stuff goes wrong as you learn that the professor is dead!

The investigation is nicely paced and it was nice to be in Kurain again. The characters are mostly fun here. Paul is a hilarious villain,but maybe a bit too obvious. Really,the only other suspects are the victim's child and the obviously innocent defendant. Not really a mystery there. But Armie was great and really cute. I liked her own mini arc she underwent here. Apollo and Daddy Dragon both also have their own arc throughout the investigation,and it's also good. Trucy and Athena were fun here,and it was nice to have Trucy back as an assistant again in the investigation. Pearl was quite cute but had a really minor role. Even Ema I don't have a problem with.

No,the one I have a problem with is Phoenix. I hated how in the trial they repeated 2-4 all over again,and this time it wasn't a moral dilemma we personally got to experience and question the role of a lawyer within our society,no oh no,they only did this for the 'cool factor',which seriously infuriates me. It gave Apollo some good development,but at the cost of regression of Phoenix's character. Ugh,it's so dumb.

The howdunnit was interesting,and I like that the 3D crime scene was reused again. I did also appreciate that technically,Armie got the final blow on her father's killer.
Other than that one glaring flaw though,this part of the case was alright. It was certainly low stakes,but it was fine. Now onto the second part,which is considerably more interesting,and solidifies this case into my top ten.

The mystery/story here definitely escalates,as the lifeline of the revolution, Daddy Dragon ,the lawyers, and pretty much the future of Khura'in rests upon this case. It's way more intriguing now. The investigation is more interesting than previously,and we learn some new twists. The trial is even better,as those twists come into fruition. The fact that Inga is the victim is great subversion,but it makes no difference anyway,seeing as how the actual killer is freaking obvious. Really,who didn't see Ga'ran coming? She was rather weak in my opinion.



The locked room mystery was interesting though,and even more the way it was subverted. Rayfa underwent some crucial development and it made me like her even more. Nahyuta was also somewhat bearable here,and it was fun to corner Ga'ran with him. Even if it did reek of 1-5 and 1-4 a bit,it still had some finesse to make it feel a bit more fresh. Amara seemed interesting at first (especially with Nayna being involved!) ,but looking back her motivations are really confusing. It wasn't explained very well either. Apollo was really great here,and the twist with Daddy Dragon being dead the whole time was fantastic.

The others,like Phoenix,Edgeworth,Athena,Datz,Ahlbi and a few others were alright. They didn't really do too much here. The story behind Amara's 'assassination' was interesting.But I noticed that there were some strange holes that were never closed. Like Inga. There were a ton questions surrounding him which were never answered. Apollo's sudden relation to Khura'in was also really dumb I felt,though at least we had the mystery of his father cleared up. Daddy Dragon was a great and fun character overall, and I really enjoyed his presence. I'll really miss him. I also did like a lot the final breakdown here. It felt really satisfying after all the bull you had to undergo this trial.

Sheesh,this is turning into me rambling at this point,so I'd better stop here. This case was really good and fun to play,but it does have a few crucial flaws which prevent me from ranking it up higher. The credits were good this time I guess,and the last cutscene was rather reassuring. I give this case an 8.45/10.



And that's SoJ done with! It's a very good game and one of the better Yamazaki games,but these crucial flaws I've mentioned throughout these cases really accumulate to bring this down. The presentation and music is good,and the main cases are really good (though the DLC isn't that great). The characters are mostly good and I overall felt it was a good way to end a game I felt it ever came to that. Apollo staying in Khura'in was a good choice by the developers. Sadly though,it's going to have to be at the top of the bottom of my list.

And now we'll have to say goodbye to Apollo Justice and friends,as we travel to the distant past next time,or is it the soon to be present? See you next-

WAIT,that's NOT ALL! We're on to the top five now! Let's see what we've got left,shall we?

AA1:1-4,1-5
JfA:2-4
T&T:3-5
AAI2:I2-5

And that's my top five. Take a guess at what's next! I've already given you a hint in this ranking. Go look for it I find you can!

1-4 or 1-5, because of the "soon to be present". My money's on 1-5.

#5-Turnabout Goodbyes



And finally,a trilogy final case has fallen,and it's technically the first finale ever! Now you should see why I delayed it,because of today's date. That's right,December 28th,15 years after DL-6,and the final part of this case! Rather fitting,right? Well,let's get on with it,man!

This case's opening is perfect. It starts off on a boat,but when a gunshot is heard and a man falls into the lake,you're left wondering what's happened. But that's not the biggest shock of all!
The scene flashes to the alleged killer,and it's....Edgeworth?! This is especially great,because at this point you know that the first two cases have shown you the killer without fail,so what's there to say that he isn't guilty? Plus,coming right after his spout of development he underwent in 1-3 also makes you intrigued as to what his deal is.

The presentation here is like 1-3. The scenery of Gourd Lake is very nice and nuanced,and is very nice to roam through. The character animations here are also nice. The music introduced here are staples of the series,like the DL-6 music,Heartbroken Maya,and the Class Trial. The music for the credits is also just great. So satisfying and sends serious chills down my spine as I realise that this was the original ending of GS in general.

The gameplay is also great,with some really serious moments like in the fist trial,where you can barely get anywhere due to von Karma interrupting you all the time. The testimonies are rather tricky,and the part where you 'testify' is pure genius. And the parrot's testimony is a freaking cult classic at this point,so I won't go into too much detail on that. I'm not a big fan of how they used Mia here,but other than that,it's quite good.



The investigations are unique,especially during the second day. There,you have to choose from Gumshoe's weapons to try and find Gourdy. Then after finding it,you have to break Larry in a way that is similar to Psyche Locks,but still quite interesting. Then you have to prove to Lotta that Gourdy isn't real,and then with Yogi you have to perform a specific series of steps to properly progress. The last investigation was rather short,but still quite interesting. I'm not a big fan of how you have to present the letter to Manfred on the last day,but I felt it was a necessary evil to give Maya some good development.

The story is a classic at this point. It's been reused in so many cases after this it's crazy. It's still very good though,if not a bit cheesy. Phoenix's relation to Edgeworth is finally revealed,and I can understand it. I know it comes off as stalker-ish to some people,but keep in mind this is the same guy who would run over a burning bridge to rescue his friend. It doesn't seem very improbable at that point. The DL-6 incident is another classic,and for a while you really do believe that Edgeworth did it. Manfred's role is also pure genius,but I'll get to that later.

The mystery is also superb. The Hammond murder was very clever,and the way the boat ride was used as a red herring was clever. The subtle contradiction within Larry's testimony is perfect for just establishing this,and also marks the first time that good ol' Larry ruined someone's murder plan with his incompetence. The DL-6 mystery was also particularly clever,with the way that Manfred managed to fool even Gregory about his murderer. Even the way he had to take the bullet was incredible. The metal detector contradiction is also one of the best contradictions in the series to me.



The characters are also great. Edgeworth undergoes some real crucial development,and so does Phoenix. Even Maya decides to up and leave (and sadly we won't see her until tomorrow) due to her realising that she needs to train. The part where you show her the bullet is so darn heartwarming. Manfred is a great villain. His plan for using Edgeworth until he could frame him was genius,and while I've seen many call out his motive for being dumb....did you not even pay attention to his character?

Seriously,his whole character was that he was a perfectionist to the extreme. He killed because of a splotch on his perfect record? OF COURSE HE WOULD! He was THAT angered. That gives you a true image of how insane he was from the beginning!

Ahem. Anyway...

Yogi comes off to me as a thoroughly sympathetic guy and a great grey area character as well. Polly and Missile are great and cute,and Larry....this is by far his best appearance. Why? Because he actually contributes to the story in a meaningful way,and his actions are totally understandable. I like how at the end he revealed that he was the one who stole the lunch money,meaning that he was also a major catalyst in some ways. Lotta doesn't really annoy me here,and she's quite fine. Grossberg is also alright here,though I feel he was handled better in the anime. Even Gumshoe is important here. This is where he actually starts to warm up to you and plays a beautiful role in all of this.



And that was Turnabout Goodbyes! A classic case from a classic game;the only reason it isn't higher is because the other cases have the greatness of this case,but even better! The credits are great,and the ending picture gives me serious chills. I give this case an 8.55/10. See y'all next time!

#4-Rise from the Ashes



And finally,the last case from the first game has fallen! And it's the add-on case for it,released in 2005 in the DS rerelease/port of GS1. This one I was seriously considering being number one at some point,but then I realised that it does have a few fatal flaws and failures that falter it from finishing the finesse it needs. So it's only here,barely out of the top three. Let's talk about it now,in any case.

The opening is pretty cool. It foreshadows several things,like the Blue Badger and the double murder. You can even hear the vase crack. Either way,it's sort of like a prelude to the 3D cutscenes of AJ. Then the actual case begins,as Phoenix monologues about...how he didn't take any cases because he missed Maya?! Wow,I didn't know you were such a weenie,Nick.

As you can guess,this is one of those fatal flaws I mentioned previously. It just feels out of character for Phoenix to do such a thing. Even then,he only takes the case because as a looks like Maya?! It's even dumber of him. He only saved Lana's life because the Skyes reminded him of the Feys. Really,think about that. Let it sink in that he let innocents go to jail...simply because he missed Maya. Yeah.

The presentation here is pretty stellar. In fact,it's so stellar that it makes JfA and T&T pale in comparison in how not as high quality they are. The 3D examine thing is introduced here,and it's very good. Lots of little Easter eggs are here. The luminol and fingerprinting sections make their debut as well. They're well and good.

All the settings here don't exactly have the same nuance as the previous cases,but they still look rather nice. The characters have wonderful animation & style to them. Angel,Gant,Ema,Meekins and Marshall have incredible detail in every single sprite. The music here is wonderful. The new character themes are pretty fantastic,and the SL-9 theme is another staple of the franchise.



The gameplay here is pretty good. The testimonies are incredibly tricky and so are the investigation. This is definitely the longest case in the series,and almost never drags....well,except the beginning. In my opinion,this case has a boring beginning,a great middle,and a spinechilling ending. Yeah,I feel that until Gant takes the stand,this case is really boring,and thus a bit hard to get through. It's really uninteresting and doesn't really try that hard to get you intrigued. But when it does, it'll grab you by the scrotum and never let go. Heck,it still hasn't let go of me.

The mystery is great. It slowly builds up as the client has admitted to the murder,but then you're left wondering about a new mystery each time the trial ends,until you figure everything out. Both murders (SL-9 and the Goodman case) are really tricky to figure out,and I think this is the first time where the current culprit is also the past culprit. It's chilling in every way. The story is also like that. You can really feel the reach of SL-9 throughout,and the end result doesn't disappoint.

One big flaw I find is Joe Darke. Gumshoe clearly says that he turned himself in and ran away during the interrogation,which is where Neil was killed. Then why do they say that the police was chasing after him for a long time? And if there wasn't much evidence against him,then how come there was enough evidence to fill up two whole pages? The judge clearly says they're completely different as well,so it's a bit confusing. Regardless,it's still great. And that's because of...

The characters. These are all great. Lana and Ema undergo beautiful development, and the part where she smile she is beautiful. It's a darn shame Lana didn't return after this. Angel and Marshall are great witnesses who are fun to crack with tricky testimonies. Meekins also isn't half bad here. Grant is a great villain with a superimposing presence,and was an incredible force,nearly impossible to knock down. I loved the way that he screwed himself over by creating insurance for himself. His plan was also great,and his post breakdown self I felt was truly genuine.

Edgeworth is only here to tie in with what you learn of him in the next game,and Gumshoe risks his job yet again to save Edgeworth. Phoenix is alright here too.



And that's Rise from The Ashes! It's a seriously invigorating case and a fun bonus thing. The credits were super pleasing and fun. The ending picture also gives me chills.It does have a few problems though,so I can't place it too much higher than this. Therefore,I give it an 8.6/10!

And that's the first game done with! Despite not reaching the top three,it will forever be my favourite game in the series. It may not have the best presentation or characters or even story,but for me,it is the most replayable game in the franchise. There are so many options you can choose for fun without getting a penalty,and there can be more than one path at some points. The cases are all super nuanced,and are very simplistic,which makes it feel marvellous at the end. See you next time!

Back when I was first making this list, I chose a strategy of just picking out which case I thought was worst, and then moving on to the next worst case, etc. I worked from back to front, and when I got to the top 7, I realized that Reminiscence was still there. At first I thought I had just forgotten about it, and went back to see where it should've fit. But as I compared it to each case, I realized that it was in the top 7 for a reason. It beat out 4 more cases to take the 3rd spot, something I bet many people will be wondering about. So why do I love this case so much?

I-4 takes place in the past, even before 3-4. During a trial, the defendant, Mack Rell, accused the prosecutor, Byrne Faraday, of being the mysterious Yatagarasu. Faraday was taken off the case, and Edgeworth was set to take his place. This is before Edgeworth goes through his big change, so he's still in his young "perfection" persona. Manfred von Karma is present too, and he's just as much of a dick as ever. However, Edgeworth is more tame than he is in court, but I don't consider that a bad/mischaracterized thing. This was before the events of 3-4, so he still hadn't gone through that mess. Edgeworth enters the courtroom, only to have a detective barges in and says that both Rell and Faraday are dead, cutting off all leads in the case. Edgeworth heads to the crime scene, defendant lobby no. 2, and he meets all of the relevant people to the case: Yew, Rell's attorney, Tyrell Badd, Gumshoe, and younger Franziska. Coachen also makes a quick appearance, but that's all he does in the case. The murder itself was set up to look like a double murder, with two different weapons and the bodies stacked on each other. Franziska and Edgeworth have a competition to find out how the murder was done, and Edgeworth beats Franziska in a sense. Her theory of the two killing each other makes no sense once the autposy is introduced. No matter how the murder occurred, there had to have been a third person in the room. Yew returns and accuses Gumshoe of being the culprit, since he was the one on watch.

Now that there's the double murder and Rell is dead, the case against Rell is dismissed. Edgeworth asks Freddy von Karma if he can stay and continue investigating, which he allows. Edgeworth returns to talk to Badd, Yew, and Gumshoe, before returning to the hallway to investigate some more. The judge, who was leaving the bathroom at the time, said that Gumshoe had not been in the hallway. After his investigation, Edgeworth finds evidence to prove that Gumshoe had actually been sitting down out of the judge's sight, and had been eating a swiss roll with a younger girl who was roaming the courthouse. By the way, I think this is a good time to mention that you cross-examine the judge. How fuckin amazing is that? Gumshoe repeats what he said earlier of no one else being in the hallway, but it's no good. The younger girl is a younger Kay, who had been at the courthouse because of her father. She can't hold back her tears, and it leads to the heartwarming (and funny) scene of her blowing her nose into Edgeworth's cravat. Gumshoe had lied about Kay being in the hall because her father had told her not to take anything from strangers, but she had pooled her money with Gumshoe. Although this resolved the mystery of Gumshoe disappearing, Yew still accused him of the murder. With only one place left to investigate, Edgeworth leaves for lobby no. 1.

Edgeworth talks to Badd some more about the KG-8 incident, Yew, and what had happened in the lobby. Faraday and Badd had known the most about the Yatagarasu, and they were both after the smuggling ring. Yew had been after the smuggling ring as well. In the lobby, Yew had spilled her smelly perfume, which was why the window was open. Edgeworth concluded that the noise of the gunshot had come from the windows, and that it had been from the security footage. Edgeworth investigates the crime scene, and sure enough the video was playing. Yew asks for Edgeworth in the main courtroom, to go over a few more things, and Edgeworth also checks in on the evidence from the trial. The Yatagarasu's key, one of Faraday's pieces of evidence, had been the knife from the murder all along. Yew enters the courtroom, and Edgeworth accuses her of the double murder. She had spilled her perfume, causing Badd to open the window and allowing the gunshot to be played through the windows. She had stabbed Faraday with the key, and then shot Rell after the video was set up. Yew asks for the key to investigate it herself, and that was all she needed. Once Edgeworth proves her crime, she offers up very little resistance to it. She admits to her crime, and then pulls out a gun, shooting at Edgeworth and escaping with the key. Badd gives chase, but she escapes. Gumshoe thanks Edgeworth for what he did, which is the start of their very long and complicated relationship.

When you're in the top 3, every character has to be excellent, and that's definitely the case here. There's only 2 new characters (Yew, Badd) but they are some of the best in the series. Edgeworth as his younger self is awesome, and it's great to see his "find the truth" philosophy mixed in with the "strive for perfection" that von Karma drilled into his head. Younger Franziska is also fantastic, and she's pretty much a brat. It's funny to see her continually get put down by everyone else. Von Karma only appears for a few moments, but he makes the most of them. Gumshoe is almost identical, which is most certainly not a bad thing. The Judge is incredible, and having him be part of the investigation is some of the best fanservice I've ever seen. Yew is one of the best villains in the series, and she continues to make her mark in case 5. This is one of 3 cases that Badd's in, and this one is his best. His fight for justice and his determination to "fix" the law is his best characteristic, and it's on full display here, just like it is in the other 2 cases he's in.

Now, you may be wondering: Why is this case above I2-5? Simply, it's because it's simpler. I love complex cases, no doubt. But having a simpler case, where you know what you're working towards, while having the exact same quality of writing and characters is better IMO.

Now, down to two cases. I don't need to put a hint here: It's either 1-4 or 3-5.

#3-Farewell,My Turnabout



And the first of the top three has fallen,and it's the final case from JfA! This one is quite interesting, because the way it starts you wouldn't expect it to go the way it does. But it does so,and you're left rather surprised. Let's get right into it,eh?

The opening is pretty freaking cute. It's basically building off the lore you learnt in 1-3, and using it here to establish the Jamming Ninja and the Nickel Samurai. It's all fun and games,and the way the Gatewater Hotel has expanded seems like a natural way to evolve,unlike the sudden turn it took in I-3.

The presentation here is good for a trilogy case. The scenery in the hotel looks fabulous,and Matt's house also doesn't look that bad. The part where they replay the dream from 2-1 is great symbolism by the developers. The animations are great, especially of Engarde and Adrian. The shading on de Killer is also nice. If I had to say that I didn't like a sprite,it would be the new one with Will where he crosses his arms. It looks weird,to say the least.

The new music is amazing. I love the reminiscence theme here,and the Hotline of Fate is a great remix of the pursuit theme. What isn't as amazing though,is the courtroom music. Like I said before in 2-2's writeup,the music here is SO bland and boring that it makes me want to go to sleep. It's seriously such a disadvantage for this great case and is one of the few reasons it's below the others.

The gameplay here does some very clever things. The testimonies are all very hard for a final case. Incredibly so. Even Oldbag has some tricky stuff in there. My personal favourites would have to be Shelley's testimony where you have to press him,but then say it was NOT important,and then add THAT to his testimony,and also the final evidence you have to present (though it was a bit confusing how John Doe and de Killer had separate profiles).



This is also the first case to introduce the ultimate penalty,and by god does it place a lot of pressure on you. The investigations are also well paced,as you slowly start to learn the truth behind everything. And the Psyche Locks here are some of the harder ones in the series. So overall the gameplay is solid. But that isn't the heart of this case. Oh no,no. That goes to...

The story! And no,I'm not talking about the backstory behind this case. It's alright,I guess. The thing with Juan,Engarde and Celeste was certainly sad,but it was mainly there to give Adrian a tragic backstory. No,what I'm talking about is the story of this case. It's an absolutely fantastic message,making us question the role of a lawyer in our society.

It's a great moral dilemma too,because you aren't really sure what to do-save a friend but get an unjust verdict and ruin an innocent's life,or get the right verdict but have your friend die? It's a very good message and even more so in the wonderful way it was executed. Adrian appears heartless and stone cold initially,but when you expose her psychological illness,you really feel for her. There's clearly a lot of characters with different viewpoints on this too.

Don't believe me? Think about it. Phoenix blissfully believes that he should get a not guilty verdict because of his undying faith. Edgeworth thinks that they should pursue the truth instead and that's what matters. Meanwhile,Franziska believes that all that matters is a perfect record,and strives to live by that. Even de Killer clearly has his own morals and doesn't want to betray his client unless necessary. It's all so well done that in the end,I just felt this huge vibe of joy tingle through my body.

The mystery is also good,because initially we're used to the trope that all our clients are completely innocent. But then...



It turns it around on us and the glass of brandy comes out nowhere,and we're seriously amazed. The little contradictions were a bit tricky though,and the one where you had to pinpoint what was wrong with the photo was extremely precise. I also am a huge fan of how Matt was the culprit but simultaneously didn't murder anyone. It all makes perfect sense,because he believed that he killed no one and thus no Psyche Locks showed up.

The characters are sooo good! I've talked about the main cast in depth already,so let's move onto the others. Maya is a good bargaining chip because you DO know her and don't want her to die. Gumshoe,Pearl and Mia all try and do their best to help and do it well. Will makes a great reappearance and acts very in character. Oldbag and Lotta return for some odd reason,and they're also a minor con. I'm not a big fan of their comedy here. It's not a good thing to have this dumb comic relief this late in the game. They really do make a difference in the end-a large one.

And that's this case. One of the best in the series,it starts with a cute setup but then does something large with it. When Maya returned,it was sooo heartwarming. Even the credits were relieving. The final cutscene is great,and I wish that the card was actually returned to Phoenix in 3-5. I'm giving this one an 8.8/10!



And that's JfA done with! Despite this case being in my top three,it's my third least favourite AA game,and definitely the worst Takumi game. Even with the great fourth case,the others aren't really as great and do have some fatal flaws (like the gameplay and the Court music). It also was really terrible to play through after the great first game. So it's in my bottom three,the converse of this case. See you next time!

#2-The Grand Turnabout



And it's finally come down! Not only the last AAI series case and the last Japan only case,but also the last case written by Takeshi Yamazaki himself! And while it's true that I don't like him as much as Shu Takumi,he's still written some pretty amazing stuff. And this one came reeeeal close to usurping the throne of best case,but sadly the few mistakes it makes makes it fall down just a slot. So let's get down into this grand case,shall we?

The opening is confusing,as you're not entirely sure what's going on,but when it cuts to Moozilla,you're most likely even more confused than before. But the surprises just keep piling on,as Penny Nichols makes a reappearance for some reason,and then you find out that the President of Zheng Fa is dead,and Lang is standing over him! And it just keeps getting better from there.

The presentation feels surprisingly fresh. I love the fact that this is another case that takes place downtown,and the locations have beautiful designs to them. The new character animations introduced here are great. Like Sebastian,Simon,and Courtney,for example. They all gain some stellar new animations. The music is drop dead gorgeous,even if I can't see it. It's overall great!

The gameplay is good....but I feel that it's a bit lacking in some places. And that's mainly due to the pacing. I had some complaints about the pacing of this game,but honestly,this case has the worst pacing in the game. Beginning Part 1 is about an hour long,and only has TWO testimonies from Lang.

That's fine,since it's only the beginning. But Beginning Part 2 is 3 HOURS LONG,and really drags with NO TESTIMONIES. It's mostly focussed on figuring out what happened with John and Sebastian,but I feel that the entire Middle portion is shorter than this. They really should've but more checkpoints in this part. The Middle also drags a bit in the Little Thief section. The End part I actually felt was paced alright,but the Little Thief section in the Middle is just so inexcusable.



Really,this is when I started to realise how overpowered Little Thief is actually. The crime scene is right at the tower plaza,but yet when the recreation is on,the WHOLE BUILDING DISAPPEARS! 51 stories of offices and storerooms,just gone. It felt seriously poorly planned. Plus,there's some stuff which the case file clearly doesn't specify if you look at it,like the button,photo,or the missing brick near the snowman.

Ahem. Anyway,the other gameplay is fine. The testimonies are good,and besides the Little Thief section I mentioned above,the investigations still manage to hold your interest. Plus,the Logic Chess segments are so creative that I just can't stay mad at them. But really,the whole reason this case is so dang high is because of.....

The story/mystery! Seriously,this is just so amazing that I could easily overlook every flaw that I've stated in the past. It's so ridiculously intertwined with every other case in this game that it's amazing. This was very well thought out,with subplots like Knightley and Simon's relationships,Dover and Gustavia's sons,Jill's motive for revenge,and de Killer coming back in ways you would've never expected.

It's so well woven that I can't help but adore it. The roles of the characters are well specified,and they definitely fulfill it well. The reveal of the mastermind,the relationship of Courtney,John and the President,even Dogen's role behind everything are just great twists. The whodunnit is like DD,except here it works better because the motive is a personal vendetta.

The contradictions are definitely hard as heck,and the way how the body was preserved is a great call back to the third case and serves as great symbolism. The theme of this game is definitely made clear,and the amount of mentor/parent-student/child relationships here were a lot. It made me realise how many fathers in this series are either evil,or dead.

There were a few contrivances though. For example,we see the President in the practise tape walking. But later we learn that was Simon putting him down on the ground. So you're telling me that he just coincidentally setting him down in a walking position right as the tape was on? Sorry,but I can only suspend my disbelief for so long.



The characters in this are great. Well,at least the major ones. I'm not going to be talking about the side characters because no one really cares about them and I don't have anything to really say about them anyway.

Edgeworth' arc finally ends here,and while it's definitely expected,it was still a good one overall. Sebastian is seriously great here as well. The way he's helped by Edgeworth and helps him back by allowing him to investigate SS-5 was great. Courtney I still feel is a bit mediocre as a rival but great as a mother. Seriously,they could just cast her as the motherly figure instead and I'd be fine with that. Simon is a great unexpected villain,and one you seriously feel for. Such a good grey area character. John also is good,but I feel that he should've had a sad sprite or a happy one. His speech at the end was great though.

Lang returns,and I love they finally give more details on his backstory. Even the real president I feel for in a way. Raymond helps out Edgeworth in choosing his path and it feels just right. Dogen comes off as a nice guy in some ways. Kay and Franziska are...there,I guess. Gumshoe I understand is supposed to undergo an arc,but he barely had any presence here.

And that's this Grand case over with! It's certainly the cream of the crop when it comes to AA cases,but the few flaws it finds itself having like its godawful pacing and the dumb Little Thief segment really keep it from being number one. I can still give it a wonderful 9/10, though!



And that's AAI2 done with! It definitely is miles better than the first one and by far my favourite Yamazaki game,but its terrible pacing throughout the game keeps it from being in my top three. Its presentation I also feel is a slight downgrade from the first one. The mystery and story though are super duper amazing and definitely worth checking out.

Unlike the first one,it focuses on a more emotional story and keeps it interesting. Even if the first two cases aren't as good as the others,I definitely recommend trying the fanslation. It's still a good game at heart,and while it isn't my favourite like many others,it does have a special place in my heart as having the most intertwined plot in a game since Ghost Trick. See you next time!

Sometimes, the classics reign supreme. The first final case in the series takes the number 2 spot, and it deserves it. A flawless cast, perfect writing, an incredibly mystery, and some god damn feels. And although it didn't challenge the number one spot at all, it's still a nearly perfect case.

The intro provides a look into what you're dealing with, and it at first is made to seem like Edgeworth is the true culprit. But when he gets arrested, you know that it couldn't be him. Edgeworth naturally doesn't want anything to do with Phoenix, and he turns down his request to defend him. That don't stop Phoenix though, and with the help of a now very cooperative Gumshoe, he gets to the crime scene. After some more investigating and finding out about DL-6, Edgeworth caves and allows Phoenix to defend him. In court, Phoenix meets his new adversary: Manfred von Karma, the king of all assholes. If you think Edgeworth, Franziska, or Nahyuta are tough, then you got no chance against von Karma. He controls everything, from the pacing of the trial, the cross examinations, the evidence, even sustaining his own objections. It takes Maya getting held in Contempt of Court for Phoenix to finally find a crack in Lotta's rigged testimony, and he proves that she had never even seen the boat. The photo of the crime is enlarged, and Phoenix proves that the shooter couldn't have been Edgeworth due to the gun being in the opposite hand of Edgeworth's fingerprints. This is barely enough for Phoenix to extend the trial, and to continue his investigation.

After surviving von Karma, Maya is let out of jail, and together they continue to investigate. Lotta, still up to no good, decides to barter with Phoenix: Info on Gourdy in exchange for info on the case. Phoenix proves that "Gourdy" was actually Larry's doing. Larry, who had been selling hot dogs by the lake, had accidentally blown up his Steel Samurai balloon into the lake. The loud noise along with the balloon entering the lake were what people thought was Gourdy. Lotta, now very depressed, tells Phoenix that the next witness is the old boat caretaker by the lake. This old guy, called "Uncle" is pretty fucked up in the head, thinking that Phoenix and Maya are his kids. He also thinks that his boat rental shop is a...pasta restaurant? Phoenix can't get anything out of him, but a chance question by Maya to the parrot reveals that the old man is connected to DL-6. Uncle locks them out of the cabin, so Phoenix returns to Criminal Affairs to look into DL-6 some more. Uncle is brought to testify the next day, and just like Lotta his testimony is fixed by von Karma. Phoenix can't get anywhere, and just as the trial is about to end, Larry steps up and asks to testify, giving Phoenix his first chance at countering von Karma. Larry's testimony couldn't have been fixed, so it's the first *genuine* testimony of the case. Phoenix takes this and runs with it, completely overthrowing von Karma's case. Larry heard a gunshot before midnight, but the murder happened after midnight. There were two sets of gunshots that night. The first occurred in the boathouse, where the caretaker shot Hammond. He then dressed as Hammond and went on the boat with Edgeworth. He shot into the water twice, and jumped off the boat. He swam to shore, put the coat back on Hammond, and threw him in the lake. The judge demands that the caretaker testifies again, but he'd already fled the courthouse, delaying the trial one day more.

Finally, Phoenix reveals his motivation for becoming the lawyer, the class trial when Edgeworth and Larry stood up for him. Edgeworth also talks about his nightmare in detail, and that he believed that he had accidentally killed his own father in DL-6. Phoenix doesn't believe it, and he heads back to the caretaker's office to find more clues. It's here that he finds the letter, which had the plans for the murder. Grossberg confirms that the letter was written by von Karma, meaning that he was also out for Edgeworth. Phoenix and Maya return to the records room only to be shocked by von Karma, who takes the letter and all of the DL-6 evidence. Well, almost. Maya manages to get one piece from him, the bullet, which ends up being the crucial factor in the end. Uncle is found, and brought to testify again. Without the letter, Phoenix can't get anywhere with his testimony once again. It's here where the infamous moment of cross-examining Polly happens, as Phoenix accepts von Karma's joke challenge of cross-examining the parrot. He connects Uncle to DL-6 as Yanni Yogi, and Uncle finally gives in. He admits to being Yogi, and that he had no regrets in killing Hammond. Just as the trial is about to end, and von Karma is about to take his first loss, Edgeworth objects and confesses to DL-6. Despite the confession, Phoenix decides to defend Edgeworth once again. His only lead is almost immediately crushed, and Phoenix loses hope for saving Edgeworth. But wait! Mia Fey (The only meh thing in the case) appears and edges him on, and Phoenix makes the biggest bluff of his career. He says that a second bullet was fired, and that it had hit the true murderer. Said murderer couldn't remove the bullet at that moment, so it had remained in his body, meaning he had to take it. von Karma had a six-month vacation after the case, prompting Phoenix to accuse him of never removing the bullet from his body. He uses the metal detector on von Karma, and proves that the bullet inside him was from DL-6 with the bullet Maya stole from him before. von Karma, finally defeated, slams his head on the wall enough times to do plenty of brain damage, and he finally takes the L and is arrested. It's not over yet, because Maya, who feels like she didn't help at all, decides to return to Kurain to continue training. Phoenix points out that it was because of her that they took down von Karma, but she still returns to Kurain anyway.

To be the #2 case, the cast has to be flawless. And that's pretty much what it is, actually. Lotta plays her role perfectly as the weird first witness, and she's never annoying or grating. Larry is done perfectly as the unexpected hero who saves the case, and it's his best showing by far. Uncle/Yogi was also great, and it was the first time in the series where it was a "big transformation". His change from old quack to serious killer man was astounding. von Karma is a complete douchebitchassbastard who you absolutely love to hate. Nothing comes close to radiating as much power as him in the series, and taking him down felt so damn good. Phoenix and Edgeworth also are both played out perfectly, and Phoenix's determination to protect Edgeworth as return for what happened so many years ago showed how much they truly care about each other as friends. (Not into the Edgeworth/Phoenix shipping) Maya is also fantastic, and her self doubt and determination to become a better medium so she can be more helpful was sad and happy at the same time.

And only one game remains. The first Ace Attorney is far from my favorite in the series, but god damn it's still a good game. The first two cases are ehhhh, but the last 3 more than make up for them.

And now, only one remains. Me and SC may have had very different lists (6-S, 4-2, etc.) but it's no coincidence that we have the same number one case.

#1-Bridge to the Turnabout



Let's be honest,who didn't see this coming? No one? That's what I thought. This case has been featured in so many rankings,and in most of them,it's #1. For me too,this is the case. But let me explain why this is number one.

The opening of this case,nay,the first half hour of this case is a real shocker. Right away,they introduce this mystery of a second Dahlia,and it's quite the enigma at first,and you're left quite eager to see the conclusion. You leave the office,never to come back there for the rest of the case. Then after trying to figure out the little individual mysteries,a murder occurs,and Phoenix falls off a bridge. It's quite possibly the best opening of the series.

The presentation is standard for an AA case. I like the location,I guess. The animations are...fine,I suppose. The music here is good. I loved Dahlia's breakdown and the double finger point at the end was cool. Also love the return of the Cornered theme at the final part. It's not really mind blowing,but it works fine for what it is.

The gameplay is also fine. The investigations flow well,and so do the trials. The testimonies are tricky for a final case,and the Psyche Locks are at their hardest here. The detector thing appears here for some reason,and I guess it does its job well. It did bug me on the second day where you had to prove to yourself that Iris's sister is Dahlia when you pretty much know it as fact,but that's a nitpick.



The mystery is certainly good. I like how everything was incredibly staged in a 2-3 sort of way with the pendulum,but it wasn't completely unfeasible here. The whodunnit is an interesting twist,because you're expecting it to be Dahlia,but it turns out it's the mysterious prosecutor you've known about for so long. I like how some weird plotholes from the last two games were cleared up,like 'Is Misty still alive?',and 'What happened with Morgan?'. It felt nice to receive some closure. Larry's drawing here is quite clever and not as bad as it was in 6-6 or I2-3.

The story is a freaking masterpiece. It wraps up the trilogy in such a perfect way,leaving no stone unturned. The characters all undergo some crucial development, and at the end I felt that I would be fine if the series would've ended here. That's just the extent of it. It's so great,yet so simple. I don't even feel that I need to say more on this.

The characters are wonderful. Phoenix undergoes wonderful development,and that final finger point sums it all up perfectly. Godot's a great grey area character,and is still debated upon today. Iris is very cute,and I like the closure on her and Dahlia. Yeah,I didn't even mind Dahlia that much. She was a wonderful red herring,and I loved the exorcism scene. Maya and Pearl learn to stay strong and embrace Phoenix as a member of their family.

Even the fanservice is good. I feel that although Larry was a tad overused,he was still good here. Gumshoe does his best to save Maya,and so does Franziska. Interacting with them as Edgeworth was a good novelty. I like the way they even brought back the Canadian Judge,though I feel good old Udgey still wins me over with his wonderful words of wisdom at the supposed end. Even Bikini was a good motherly character,and functioned as a better Oldbag.



And that's the final case! This one may seem a little short,but I felt that I said all that I needed to about this case. It's just a great classic and wraps up the trilogy in the best manner possible. The credits were the best and I liked that they gave credit to the voice actors,which is definitely new. If I do have to mention a con,it would have to be that this can be seriously too hard at times. The Psyche Locks especially. But that's about it. I give this case a 9.8/10!



And that's T&T done with! It may not be the best AA game to be,but darn if it isn't up there. The presentation and gameplay are fine,the characters aren't annoying,and the mysteries are good. The flashback trials are alright and the filler cases just good. But the reason it's up at second is kinda because it has the best case in the series to me. It also wraps up the trilogy perfectly,so there's that!

And that's this ranking also done with! Well,for now,anyway. Remember,DGS2 is releasing next year,and I'll be coming back then to rank those cases. If you want you can reply to me and we can have a nice long chat about these cases. I'll still be here! Till then,thank you to everyone for the amazing support you've given me,and Stay Viral™! This was very fun to do overall,and I'm quite proud of this project and the fact I managed to finish it before 2017. Till I play and finish DGS2,see you!

How do do you beat a nearly flawless case? You have to be completely flawless. And that's exactly what Bridge to the Turnabout is. It has everything you could want in a case, with an incredible cast, fantastic mystery, absolutely crazy contradictions that make sense, a villain you can truly hate, a villain you feel sympathetic for, character development all around, and a perfect way to tie up the trilogy.

The case starts with Maya and Pearl wanting to go to a training temple in the mountains where it's cold as all fuck, so Phoenix obviously doesn't want to go. But when Maya shows him an ad about the temple, Phoenix sees the last thing he would've ever thought to see: Dahlia. The same monster who was put in prison years ago, the one that killed two people, nearly killed another, and plotted to kill Phoenix himself. She should still be in prison, but here she is at this temple. Phoenix, having to see what exactly is going on, agrees. This mystery woman, named Iris, does nothing to help clear up the mystery, as it's very obvious that she knows Phoenix. Along with the head nun Sister Bikini, the only other people there are Elise Deauxnim, a children's book author, and Larry Butz himself, trying to change his life and follow in Deauxnim's footsteps. Maya is taken across Dusky Bridge (The exact same bridge in Mia's case against Dahlia 5 years ago) to the inner temple, and Pearl goes with Deauxnim to read books together. But because this is Ace Attorney, everyone knows that someone is gonna die. Phoenix wakes up after hearing a scream, and finds Deauxnim's body in the courtyard. Sister Bikini had seen the body and passed out, and she tells Phoenix to call the police. Phoenix runs to the bridge where the only phone is located, and he finds the bridge on fire and Larry just standing around. He tells Larry to call the police, and Phoenix attempts to cross the bridge in fear for Maya. The burning bridge can't hold his weight, and it collapses beneath him, and he falls into the river below. Larry, now completely freaking the fuck out, calls Edgeworth (Who's in another country) and asks him to return. Edgeworth returns as quickly as possible, and Phoenix asks him to do something insane: Defend Iris, who had been accused of the murder. Now, Edgeworth is a prosecutor, so this is pretty difficult. But Phoenix trusts Edgeworth, so we get to play as Edgeworth. Just...how amazing is this. Edgeworth is my favorite character in the series. The Investigations series is pretty cool, but nothing beats playing in a courtroom. So now I can play as my favorite character in a courtroom? Sign me the hell up, I want in.

Now posing as a defense attorney, Edgeworth agrees to defend Iris on one condition: That she tells Phoenix her secret once the case is over with. The case itself seems fairly simple, but the events surrounding it are what's strange. Maya is trapped at the inner temple, and Pearl had gone missing since late last night, when she left to go read with Ms. Deauxnim. Godot is also missing, but it's unknown why. Larry, being the stupid idiot he is, tries to write a love letter to Iris. His horrible writing skills make it look like a blackmail letter, and he even leaves the "Salutation here" in the letter instead of actually writing a salutation. Despite Larry wasting Edgeworth's time, he still mentions seeing "Something incredible", but when Edgeworth presses further he gets nothing but more psyche-locks, which Edgeworth smartly decides to ignore and instead focus on in court. With Godot missing, Franziska returns to prosecute, and Edgeworth personally arranges for the Judge from 3-4 to preside so he isn't recognized as a prosecutor. The first witness, Sister Bikini, says that she saw Iris stab Deauxnim with the weapon. Due to the odd shape of the Shichishito, this makes it impossible for it to be the murder weapon if Bikini saw what she did. The snowmobile had also been used sometime that night, but it couldn't have been Iris, who was supposedly at the inner temple. It had to have been used before it started snowing, so someone else must have used it. Edgeworth uses this opportunity to bring Larry up to the stand as a potential witness to who was using the snowmobile, and to ask him about this "something incredible" he saw. Larry said he had just arrived at the bridge when Phoenix arrived, but that makes no sense considering that Phoenix only arrived when the bridge had stopped burning, and Larry had arrived shortly after it started. Larry admitted that he had given in to his urge to draw when he saw the bridge, and that his drawing also contained the incredible thing he had mentioned before. Edgeworth asks to see his drawing, and it's here where we get the first of Larry's weird drawings. In it, the burning bridge is seen with someone flying over the bridge. Larry claims that it was Iris, and he presents a purple crystal ball to back his claim up. The crystal ball is actually from Deauxnim's staff, and it was covered in snow. This means that Deauxnim wasn't killed at the courtyard, but by the bridge. The snowmobile was used to transport the body back to the temple, where the murder weapon was removed from her body. The judge opts to extend the trial for another day, allowing Phoenix to take over for Edgeworth.

Now taking over as the head of the defense, Phoenix returns to Hazakura temple. Gumshoe tells Phoenix that the bridge is nearly repaired, and that Phoenix would be the first to know when it's fixed. Phoenix asks Sister Bikini about Deauxnim's true identity, since Bikini continually referred to her as "Mystic Elise", a title only for spirit mediums. More psyche-locks appear, but Gumshoe tells Phoenix that the bridge is fully repaired. They cross the bridge to find Pearl crying on the other side. She says that she had crossed the bridge because she was scared of Maya. Everyone goes into the inner temple to find Maya, but instead they find the sacred cavern locked with a trick lock, which was used for training purposes. The only one who could've put it on is Iris, and she is retrieved from the detention center. Godot also finally appears, and tells von Karma that he is taking over as prosecution. He also tells Phoenix that he needs his mask so he can see, and that he got it after he "died". Phoenix makes the connection that Godot's "death" was the poisoning incident caused by Dahlia 5 years ago, and that Godot's grudge has to do with Mia's death. While Iris is being brought to Hazakura, Phoenix and von Karma go to the garden by the inner temple. They find Maya's name written in blood on the lantern in the middle, making it very likely that the murder occurred in the garden. It also heavily implicates Maya as the murderer. Phoenix also finds a talisman at the crime scene, which belongs to the current Kurain Master. Edgeworth is assigned to escort Iris to the Inner Temple, and he refuses Phoenix's help. Phoenix returns to Bikini and shows her the talisman, and he realizes that Deauxnim was actually the missing Misty Fey. Before he can ask any further, an earthquake occurs. Phoenix knows that Edgeworth is afraid of earthquakes, and he finds him alone. He had passed out when escorting Iris, meaning she was on the loose. Luckily, they find her at the inner temple, but to everyone's horror, now 5 trick locks were on the Sacred Cavern instead of 1.

Iris hadn't put the trick locks on, so she has to remain at the temple for an entire day to try and take them off. Phoenix asks Iris where she truly was during the murder, and now 3 psyche-locks appear. Phoenix can't get anything out of Pearl either, who also has psyche-locks appear when asked of her location. Phoenix returns to Bikini to learn more about Misty, and she lets slip that Iris is Morgan's daughter. When Phoenix tells her that Pearl is also Morgan's daughter, Bikini tells Phoenix something even more shocking, something that answers Phoenix's question of why Iris looked exactly like Dahlia. Morgan had three daughters, Pearl, Iris, and her twin sisters. This twin sister is obviously Dahlia, and he tells Edgeworth of this fact. Edgey maintains that Dahlia isn't related to the case because she had been executed a month ago. Phoenix still has doubts, believing that Dahlia had been channeled. Gumshoe, still looking for the murder weapon, had stumbled upon a burnt letter in the incinerator. With the help of Phoenix, they discover that the murder weapon was actually a sword located inside of Deauxnim's staff. Now with only one question remaining, Phoenix returns to Pearl to find out where she truly was during the murder. She had been following the instructions on the letter, but had failed in channeling Dahlia. This means that someone else had been channeling her that night. Godot returns and tells Phoenix that the locks couldn't be removed, and that Maya is "gone" like Mia.

At court the next day, Phoenix is faced with the worst thing possible. Iris is now claiming to be an accomplice, and that Maya is the true culprit of the murder. Iris claims that Deauxnim attacked Maya with a dagger, but Phoenix counters this by questioning why she hadn't used her staff-sword instead. He also questions why Deauxnim would attack Maya, since she is actually her long-lost mother. Finally, he says that Iris's claim of Maya stabbing Deauxnim in the front contradicts the autopsy of her being stabbed in the back. None of his claims hold up, and we get another look into Godot's disability when he fails to see the bloody writing on the lantern after it's presented. It's during the next testimony where shit really hits the fan, because it was impossible for Iris to move the body. By the time she could've taken it across, the bridge would've been burning. Phoenix suggests his craziest (and best) theory of the entire series: That the body had been swung over like a pendulum. Larry's drawing was upside down, meaning he actually saw the body being swung instead of someone flying. The Iris on the stand was completely oblivious to this, and Phoenix finally realizes why Iris turned on him. The woman on the stand wasn't Iris, but Dahlia being channeled. Dahlia reveals herself, and tells of what truly happened to her. She had tracked down Maya after being channeled, but before she could kill Maya someone stabbed Dahlia. Before she "died" she wrote Maya's name on the lantern to throw suspicion on her. Sometime later, she awoke in the Sacred Cavern. Iris had come during the earthquake and freed her, taking Dahlia's place in the cavern. Godot receives a call, and is told that Iris was found in the cavern with no sign of Maya. Dahlia guesses that Maya jumped off the cliff out of guilt in killing her mother, but that couldn't have happened: The rock shelf at the bottom has no signs of Maya's body. Phoenix finally figures out where Maya truly is: She's channeling Dahlia on the stand. Maya had locked herself in the chamber and channeled Dahlia so Pearl couldn't have done it. Dahlia thought she was being channeled by Pearl, so this kept Maya safe from harm. Mia, channeled by Pearl, taunts Dahlia along with Phoenix about her failures. Mia lays the killing blow on Dahlia, saying that as long as she's there Dahlia would never succeed. Dahlia is then FORCEFULLY EXORCISED from Maya. The judge moves to end the trial, but Godot objects, saying that Deauxnim's killer had yet to be found, despite Dahlia being the true villain.

Maya is brought to testify about who the true killer is, and it's obvious that she's trying to protect whoever it was. She slips up, saying that she saw a man behind her attacker. She says that she saw them by the light of the lantern, but the lantern was out of commission that night. Godot asks how she saw the man, and Phoenix finally indicts his target. He asks for the courtroom lights to be turned off, and the entire room is set into darkness. Well, everything except for one thing: Godot's mask, which glows in the dark (As seen in 3-3 when Furio yelled the lights out). Maya tries to cover for him again by saying she knew it was a man by how the crime scene had been cleaned, but the blood remaining on the lamp suggests otherwise. Phoenix uses this again to indict Godot, who can't see red on white (As seen in 3-3, when he failed to see the ketchup on the apron). I'm gonna mention quick here how both this and the light-up mask are foreshadowed absolutely brilliantly. Incredible job by the developers. Anyway, Phoenix continues to indict Godot. Maya claims that Godot couldn't have been the killer since he hadn't been to the temple until after the murder, but Godot slips up by describing the poster in the inner temple as it was before Pearl threw gravy on it. Phoenix also accuses Godot of knowing Morgan's plan beforehand, pointing out the broken seal on the letter. Godot finally admits to knowing about the plan, and that it was his job to protect Maya. Godot also admits to being Diego Armando, Mia's former boyfriend that had been poisoned by Dahlia. Godot doesn't fully admit to the murder, saying that Phoenix must prove that himself. Everything hinges on Maya's final testimony, and she continues to protect Godot. Dahlia had attacked the killer with a dagger, and Godot claims that since he presented the dagger to the court, it can't be his blood. Maya also points out that there's no wound on Godot's body. Godot challenges Phoenix to an unlimited penalty, saying that if he fails Iris will be found guilty. Phoenix doesn't back down, and says that the wound is under Godot's mask. Godot sees Mia's spirit in Phoenix, and he finally gives in. Godot says the reason for his grudge was due to Phoenix continuing his life after Mia's death as if nothing happened. Godot wonders if he truly did the crime to protect Maya, or to get revenge on Hawthorne. He eventually realizes that he did all of this to try and save himself from the truth that he had failed to protect Mia. He finally tells Maya:



The courtroom music follows this perfectly, and it's an incredible moment. Iris is then brought back to the stand, and she has a confession of her own. When Phoenix and Dahlia were dating, Iris had been posing as Dahlia to prevent her from killing Phoenix. She had done this at first so Dahlia wouldn't commit more crimes, but eventually she fell in love with Phoenix, explaining why Phoenix has defended her so vehemently. Iris truly cared about Phoenix, going so far as to put her life before his if it had come to that. It's another touching moment in a case absolutely full of them. The trial ends with Godot contemplating on how the cup of coffee he's currently drinking might very well be the best he's ever had, and Phoenix (who's also drinking coffee like a badass) agrees. Godot is now finally free of the burden on his soul, and the judge hands down the Not Guilty verdict.

Wow, what a case. The characters here are, just like the case, flawless. Iris is one of the most likeable characters in the series, and when you meet her you just know that she's not evil. Unlike Dahlia (who was obviously faking) Iris seems truly genuine, and you feel compelled to defend her even though she's obviously a part of the murder. Godot is also fantastic, and his realization that he's the only one at fault in all of this instead of Phoenix is a really powerful moment. Once he realizes that he only has himself to blame, he doesn't become depressed, but happy, sort of. And when he tells Maya not to cry, coupled with the court music, it's the best moment in the series no question. Bikini is a perfect witness, one that's crazy enough to be enjoyable but not grating, serious enough to not be ridiculous but have depth, and one that truly isn't trying to hinder your case for some stupid reason. Edgeworth is awesome this case, and playing in his perspective for the first time was a huge change from Phoenix/Mia. Phoenix himself is great in this case, and seeing him handle his past with maturity shows how much he's changed from the first case. Dahlia is still an asshole, but this is her best showing. Seeing her break down after losing so much was hella satisfying. Larry is Larry, and anything with Larry is great. Pearl, Maya, Gumshoe, and Franziska are pretty much the same, although Pearl does go through a bit of development. Misty/Elise is pretty cool too, but her plan to save Maya isn't exactly the smartest one out there.

And that's it for Trials and Tribulations, the final game to fall. It's absolutely a phenomenal game, and the best in the series by far. When you finish a game with something like this, it's gonna be good. Really, really good.

And just for the hell of it, here's how I'd rank the games.

9. Justice for All
8. Layton vs. Wright
7. Ace Attorney
6. Apollo Justice
5. Investigations
4. Dual Destinies
3. Prosecutor's Path
2. Spirit of Justice
1. Trials and Tribulations