...dude.
my friend has codependancy.
that REALLY struck a nerve. I mean, SERIOUSLY. roar. And I'm nt just attributing her to Adrian just because she has the same disorder, she acts a lot like her... the outward appearence... she pretty much clings to me.
Anyways... everything said above about that was true.

and what makes case 4 so good? simple! *shot*

---

I didn't know co-dependency was some sort of disorder.

I mostly though that was because she was weak she was so dependant on others. A charracter flaw, not some sort of illnes.

That case was filled with so many hints that went completely over my head. I was shocked by the surprising seriousness of the case, it was terrible.

On top of that, the entire JFA was ruined because I already knew what was going to happen, really. Wasn't even close to being exiting, hard, or in other ways even get close to the feeling of plaing a Phoenix Wright case for the first time.

---

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Co-dependency

should answer some questions.

---

What I really liked about case 4 has all been said before:

The sheer epicness of Edgeworth coming back, and yes that did have a point other than making fans squee, he was the only person who could keep up with Phoenix to stall. Had it been anyone else, the case would have ended because Phoenix would have been too smart for his own good.

Maya getting kidnapped was a major plus, it kept you fighting for something other than your client, it made it a bit more personal.

Engarde being guilty/evil was a major plot twist.

Epic Edgeworth theme Music FTW! And I'm not even that big of an Edgeworth fan!

The ending screen with Shelly's calling card with Phoenix's Face drawn on it by Maya sure was epic too, one of the best ending screens ever!

Another thing I liked about it was that I went into the game expecting it to not top case 4 of PW1, but it actually managed to match or even exceed it! It's got to be one of my favorite endings ever, and is certainly one of the best sequels I've ever played, though I can't compare it to PW3 because I haven't played it yet ='(

One thing that was great about it too was there was a big, underlying thread to the whole case that brought it all together:

Trust.

Everything that happened in the case, everything that came to be was rooted in issues of trust. Edgeworth and Phoenix trusted each other to get to the bottom of the case and bring it to a conclusion that would save all those innocent and punish the guilty party for real. Maya trusted in Nick to rescue her, but also to make that bastard Matt pay for his crime. Phoenix trusted in De Killer to keep his word, and De Killer trusted Phoenix to do the same. Adrian, because of her disorder, vested her trust into any kind of pillar of strength she could, but at the same time kept her trust closely guarded between Corrida and Matt. And Matt?

He didn't trust anyone. He didn't trust Phoenix to actually fight for him unless he had incentive. He didn't trust Adrian for real. And he sure as hell didn't trust De Killer, which is why he sought to blackmail him too, and that, fittingly enough, ended up being his sole downfall.

---

The case was epic on multiple levels of awesome.

Matt being the true villan! Maya in danger! Dark secrets! Gumshoe crashing! Gravy! Franziska saving the day! Lesbian undertones!

It was just as awesome as Case 1-5, if not moreso.

---

huh. Well that explains the " "...

And... this is something everyone should know about..?

---

Well, it's referred to in the game as an illness.

I suppose you could take that line as figurative, though I think it's portrayed that way as well. At least that's how I saw it.

Yeah. It's a psychological disorder, not a personality trait.

---

Why is Case 4 so good?
A Play in One Act by QuirkyLittleTyrant
SCENE: A hideously messy dorm room. It is obviously very late, and its single occupant is obviously not studying for her upcoming math quiz on the unit circle.
Me: Ah, finally I have reached the nigh end of my electronic endeavor. Forsooth!
JFA: I'm going to make you think this case will be really boring.
Me: Man, this case seems really boring. Steel Samurai again? Ho-hum. Oh well, at least Pearl is cute. wtf with those stitches weird random dude lol. Man, I hope this case picks up soo - HO-HO-HO-HOLY CRAP IN BASKET!!
JFA: lol, owned. Now Maya is kidnapped and I will tear your puny brain to shreds by implying that the writers might be sadistic enough to kill her off.
Me: NOOOOOOO! Edgeworth...BACK!? Matt...EVIL!? Gumshoe...USEFUL!? Adrian...LESBIAN!?
JFA: Now make your final choice which may or may not destroy you emotionally. Also, I chortle at the fact you still actually believe that Maya is in real danger of being killed off and that Gumshoe is dead.
Me: omigodifipickguiltymayadiesbutifipicknotguiltygravydrinkingstrangelyeroticevilmattwillgetaway - WHAT WILL I DO!?
JFA: BOOM FRANZISKA, lol
Me: O_O!! WHOAMG! I R SAVED! Well, this is obviously the best case ever. Man, I was so close to weeping like an idiot, too, but luckily I still have that last remaining shred of pride. Sucks for you, JFA!
JFA: bitchplz
*Final scene of the Maya card*
Me: ;_;
END

I had a good part of it spoiled, but it still was plenty awesome. I liked Adrian, but my favorite part by far was when they tested the suicide note. I hadn't had that part spoiled, so when they mentioned it was a fake, I cracked up. I could not get any further for a good 5 minutes while I was laughing.

The fact that you were faced with the previously unseen situation of defending a guilty man makes the case special in its own right, but "The miracle never happen..." makes the case the best ever!

---

I must admit, the first playthrough all I could really think was "GJHIROPGJIOWPEA EDGEY'S BACK GTJHIEOWAGPJIOEWPGJA" and similar incoherent thoughts. But I also liked the suspense a lot and how it was different than most of the other cases. Seeing Will Powers again was a nice surprise, and I rather liked Adrian. Franziska's part in that case was just AWESOME. Gummy's part in that case was awesome x infinity.

---

The reason I liked Case 4 so much was the plot for that case in general. The characters also helped - I just ended up liking pretty much all of them(though two of 'em got a bit on my nerves after a while...)

I didn't care much about Maya getting kidnapped, though - probably because I don't like her all that much. Still tried saving her despite that, however.

Matt being guilty was quite shocking, though I figured that out by the end of the first day of investigation - Edgeworth's comment about Celeste being a key to that case and Matt's reaction to her profile just... kinda gave him away.

The whole case was pretty damatic, what with having to defend someone who you knew was guilty, and pinning the crime on someone innocent...

There's one thing I really didn't like about this case, though, and that's the ending. Unlike Phoenix, I really wanted to get a Not Guilty... after all, that's his job. So when the case ended with a Guilty... I wasn't very happy. Which is probably why I ended up getting the glorified Game Over a few times on purpose.

I still think that Shoe's the real mastermind behind the whole case. <_<

whoa heres my 1st post (OMG n00b!)

5 reasons 4 like case 4 in JFA;

1. returns he still a smartass though
2. getting all emotional definately keeps u entertained in terms of storyline.
3. the big twist that genuinely was the most i had been shocked by the whole series so far
4. the good and bad endings
5. characters like adding some great humour

1 reason not to like case 4;

OMG the return of

cloud

---

2-4 certainly deserves a spot in the pantheon.

1) . Period. Fanboys like me were ineffably excited by his inclusion at all, but he really brought the case together. It's our Edgey-poo that delves into the issues of morality and justice. Edgey rises above the von Karma mindset, and this is some refreshing character development. And, come now: who doesn't like Edgey prosecuting?

2) / . Maya's kidnapping was a complete shock to me, and the case immediately took on a sense of urgency. Getting down the end, two lives hung in the balance: Adrian's and Maya's. Phoenix had to make a choice, and this was a powerful moment.

3) . Perhaps I'm naïve, but I didn't see that coming. I think I was just so conditioned to the "defend an innocent, find the criminal"; here, however, such was not the case (mild pun, not quite intended). This brings up the whole moral conflict of being a lawyer: which is more important, a fair trial or blind justice? And I loved how the whole case played out as almost a puppet show with Matt controlling it all; even more satisfying was the final turnabout in which he was no longer in control.

4) . Poor girl. You really did feel bad, and I don't think it's impossible to empathize with her extreme hopelessness. Again, hers was an extreme case, but we all know the feeling of helplessness. One of the more interesting character studies thus far, I'd say.

5) . Snotty as she is, I still was shocked and a bit worried when I found out that she was shot. Her grand entrance was equally impressive. And how can you not feel bad for her at the end? Seeing her cry was even a bit surprising. I'm interested in how it will play out for her, now that she seems to have reformed her ways.

6) . His fate is not resolved in the end, and while unsatisfying, it's how the real world is. And it's almost unnerving to meet someone who thinks of murder as "business". Plus his face is just funny.

All the other cameos (Powers, Hotti, Lotta and especially Oldbag) were silly and enjoyable (well, save Oldbag), if only for their in-joke referential ability.

Overall, just a brilliant case. Now I'm left waiting for GS3 stateside!

eh, after Maya got kidnapped, I think that's when it hooked me and I couldn't stop playing. XD

epic Edgeworth music and epic evil Matt music ftw!

Shelly was badass. one of my fav chars right there. (lol, "the butler did it")

my friend proposed a theory about Matt's weird unexplained scars....

...

Shoe did it.

---

Much of this has already been discussed. Which isn't bad.

#1: When things get personal. It began as the outline of a Steel Samurai case. Not bad, it sounded pretty fun even. But as the tragedy was sewn and we became more entangled into it, our grip on the DS wavered. This stuff isn't meant to happen to Maya! She's too nice to be put into the furnace of the underworld! (Though she's almost become the Princess Peach of the series at this stage, except she's helpful.) Before, I would have taken the case anyway; now I had to not only take it, but win in a one-day wonder.

#2: There's strength in numbers. There was a strong vibe of friendship in this case. Everyone who could help you did, in one way or another. Will Powers and Gumshoe were there to console in any form they could; Gumshoe going as far as to lose his job to give Wright a fighting chance. Edgeworth stuck by Wright, despite his confidence in Engarde's guilt. Even lending assistance.


#3: The defendant, Matt Engarde. I had believed Shelly when he said that Engarde wasn't the murderer, and I believed Matt when he told me the same. It was the basic principle throughout the game in terms of morality; if Phoenix were flustered by this, then he wouldn't be able to pull off his turnabouts, after all. It was what Mia had taught him after all, and what was drilled into me in the third case. If the defendant is truly innocent, then something's been overlooked. Even when faced with news of the assassin, Shelly De Killer (BEST. NAME PUN. EVER._), how much sense it would have made, and how weak Matt's story seemed compared to it now, I still believed in him.

Despite it being spoiled for me that there was more to Matt Engarde than meets the eye, I still believed in him.
Despite the psyche-lock so large it should have been a Berry Big Circus attraction, I still believed in him.
Despite the concern of his "secret", I still believed in him.
Despite the Spy Camera he planted in Corrida's apartment room, I still believed in him.
Despite, after many blunders, showing him Shelly's card at the psyche-lock's end, and realising the truth was exactly what it should not have been, I still wanted to believe in him.

Then he admitted it in the most twisted, comical way possible to him, and showed his true, less-admirable colours.

What a douche.
I thus immediately hated him, his wolf-like teeth, his evil glare, his entrancing glass of...of gravy. Then, after deliberating for a time...

#4: Investigation recieves its paycheck. Usually the Investigation is just that time where you see the people, the sceneries, crack a psyche lock or four, and try and think things over before Trial, so you have an idea of what to do. In this case, it rivalled the calibre of most hour-long TV dramas. There was plenty to do, and it had its own mysteries to solve.

#5: The Wrong End of the Knife. The second day of court is definitely one of the best trial days crafted. For one, it was different from the norm. In the other trial days, you have to face impossible odds, expose the lies/guilt from the witnesses, direct the view of the evidence into the right direction, craft a preposterous, yet completely true theory, thwart the wrath of the enemy prosecutor, and save the innocent. In this one, it was your task to face impossible odds, expose the lies of the witnesses, craft a preposterous theory, thwart the wrath of the enemy prosecutor, and save a murderer. A fiend. A man who deserved conviction. Usually, Phoenix is the man who opposes the foul nature of the court and roots out the corruption. His victory is a victory for good. Yet this time, if he won, then justice lost. Then the system failed. Something you had to go through, even though you really didn't want to.

Secondly, we already knew the truth. And could have proven it if we wanted it to. But...that was exactly what we could not do. A major reason why Wright won was because he pursued the truth; that the facts were on his side in the end, behind the veil of smoke. This time, you were trying to spread the smoke even further so nobody could see. And, typically, this also was against impossible odds. Yet I did it anyway. I did what I didn't want to do. I almost got a killer off the hook.

The events, to me, were unpredictable. I knew that Will Powers was going to testify, that it was to relate to Shelly De Killer, but I couldn't figure out what could have happened in the Main Lobby regarding the assassin. It didn't cross my mind that Will Powers had left Wright and co. at the beginning to congratulate Engarde.

And, from there on, it was just awesome, courtroom action. But not pure; Phoenix was "the bad guy", even if it was for poor Maya's sake.

---

^ That is an absolutely perfect description of what makes 2-4 the magnificently crafted epic that it is. I could not agree more, and I have nothing to add.

Beautiful.

You, sir/madam, have won the Internet.

Pretty much, yes. I'd throw a bit more about the Adrian dilemma in there, but I'm biased because I find her to be an absolutely FASCINATING character.

Having to choose which innocent girl faces death... is not a fun choice.

---

[quote]1) . Period. Fanboys like me were ineffably excited by his inclusion at all, but he really brought the case together. It's our Edgey-poo that delves into the issues of morality and justice.[/quote]
I love you <3_<3 Fanboys FTW! Your right about him making progress too, that was a great bit of the game ^_^

[quote]Maya's kidnapping was a complete shock to me,[/quote]
I also did not see that coming. It was a good twist to the final case.

[quote]2) Perhaps I'm naïve, but I didn't see that coming. [/quote]
Same, because the Pw games are always defending an innocent. It showed more fo a realistic courtroom situation seeing as defence lawyers have to defend innocent and guilty as well as prosocuters sending both innocent and guilty to jail.

[quote]4) . Poor girl. You really did feel bad, and I don't think it's impossible to empathize with her extreme hopelessness.[/quote]
Totally, I felt so guilty. I was also annoyed that Edgeworth pushed it out of her >=(

[quote]And how can you not feel bad for her at the end? Seeing her cry was even a bit surprising.[/quote]
Again I must agree with you. I was playing the end of the game while putting on my shoes, but I did stop to watch that bit and felt really bad for her.

[quote]Plus his face is just funny.[/quote]
Yeah, I was a little creeped out by it >...>

[quote]Now I'm left waiting for GS3 stateside![/quote]
And over in England I await it! I hope they do make it in English for the DS!

---

Ah, ADRIAN. I knew I had overlooked something besides the moral moment of truth in the second day.

Yep, hers was the most emotional, once you went round the back door to her heart's secrets. At first glance, she had a faintly villianous aura around her; not in appearance, but in demeanor, in voice and personality. Adrian felt like a powerful, incredibly organised person, one who would not allow for flaw (though by no means a threat to Manfred Von Karma's perfectionism). How she had "control" over Matt Engarde's life, how he depended on her, also suggested another way to wrap things up towards a happy ending; Phoenix pulls a magical rabbit of truth out of his hat once again, Edgeworth is left stumbling in defeat ('cept he'd really be okay, seeing as justice prevailed), Andrews is convicted for her crime, the past of Celeste is left alone, and Matt Engarde finally learns to stand on his own two feet, thinking like himself.

Alright, Engarde, you were being manipulated by a hag of a manager. Go on without her and live your own life. Think for yourself and make your own contracts!

Will do, dude! Thanks for everything!

Now where's Maya? I need to meet her in a happy, family reunion to wrap this case up....

Somehow, that's not how it really went. It was what we were leaning for, as the Pursuit music drilled down through the eardrums, as Phoenix made his brilliant deduction and says Adrian's name 1001 times for good measure. When she recoiled, I suddenly faltered myself. I knew that Adrian was not really as strong as she was, as Edgeworth deducted, but....I swear, I don't think I've ever seen a sprite showing a character feel so weak as when she clutched her arms in despair. It was then that I caught on like Wright did; usually there's a massive yell/faint/Gantsplosion/headbang, as the criminal collapses under the weight of their lies. So why wasn't she doing the same thing?

After that, I felt like it was her I should have been defending with Engarde.

Her Co-Dependancy is, as I felt, more of a background feature; at least, if you try and do the impossible - abolish the incident where she pleads the fifth as Franziska ordered. Its a testament to the amount of faith, of respect and admiration one person can have for someone; not an illness. For some reason I can't picture Adrian, no matter how many different colours the story was repainted with, as a bumbling, fiery character; she's no Rookie Phoenix or Young Mia. Yet at the same time, as one might conclude from Celeste Inpax, she is not her own being 100%.

At points in the trial, all one can feel is that she is the target of all things destructive; every ounce of emotional pain is directed to her when it "should" really be Engarde. It just makes her all that more a saddened character; not one to be pitied, but sympathied. If she doesn't count as a motive to pursue a guilty verdict, not much really does. But, when you finally win the hard fight to end all fights, when Right puts everything wright when Wright puts everything right, and Adrian is...appeased. She's finally happy and over Celeste's suicide. And the moment she smiled, a long reign of cheerful, victorious laughs echoed from me, as I knew I had won.

Speaking of which, there is this one scene here.....


Not Guilty....Or Guilty?

You know this scene well. Second Day of the Trial. Wright's just cracked the armour of Edgeworth and his, beforehand, bulletproof case. Shelly De Killer makes a freakin' huge surprise testimony and, when you really really fear it'd be Matt Engarde he's about to declare is his client, he suddenly "saves " you and puts the sword to Adrian Andrews, the other likely suspect. Feeling a great urge for the truth, you do that which nobody expects you to; Phoenix disarms himself and forces De Killer to continue. It buys them some time, but not enough as Edgeworth submits.

The words of De Killer stand; in the view of the defence's arguments - which are, we know, utter lies - everything makes sense and is the uncontested truth. Edgeworth, Adrian, Mia...everyone is powerless except Phoenix. Matt Engarde is called to the stand, victorious and about to be acquitted from harm, save that his image has suffered; but who cares? He's about to win, the legal system's about to be defeated...But there's one major emotional struggle for Mr. Wright. If he accepts this verdict, then Maya's safe and freed, but a killer, a madman is allowed to walk free, and in his place goes a person completely innocent, who everyone now believes is a murderer. If he rejects it and pleads guilty, then justice prevails in the court; the innocent is pardoned, and the criminal is rightfully sentenced. But the person Phoenix arguably holds closest to him dies.

Sucks to be him.

For the first time, we face a moral decision; the role of a lawyer is meant to come down to facts and facts alone. This happened. The murderer is not this person. The crime occurred here. Et cetera. And Phoenix is good at this stuff, better than everyone else in fact. But here he is no stronger than anyone. This is the one moment in the game where we are left stumped not to answer what did happen or what we should do, what the mind says...but what the heart commands, with vocals terribly faint. One just as hard to answer as a mystery, to some, I would believe; an absolute no-win situation.

In this part, I'm curious as to what everyone else pleaded; as for me...I rather liked Maya very much. I wouldn't be able to bear it if she went like that. To be murdered because I didn't agree with her captor.

And yet....And yet...I had paid alot of attention to the lawyer speeches from Edgeworth and the sort. The courtroom isn't a battle for personal grudges or whatever suits you best; it was designed to keep order, civility, and to root out any and all falsehoods in a story, so that nobody suffers for what they didn't do, and that justice is exacted for what they did do. Sounds cheesy as hell from how I'm putting it, I know, but that's how it feels. If, even once, a man/woman were punished for a crime they would never commit, or exacted such a dark deed for whatever reason and were allowed to walk free...then the system has failed. Matt Engarde did wrong, did it proudly, and most likely would do so again - more gracefully than before, and without being even arrested - should he have escaped now. And Adrian...she didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve anything she got. Hardly even the time she's doing for framing a criminal.

I...I couldn't do otherwise. No, I really couldn't. It just wasn't in me. By no means could I let a man like him escape, have someone else take his place like that, and beface my badge. My stylus wouldn't lower for a flicker. Not even for Maya's sake. I prayed she would forgive me.
I pleaded guilty.

...THANK GOD FRANZISKA SAVED THE DAY.

---

I loved Friska in that moment (and still do), but I can't stop thinking things would have turned out more interesting if she hadn't arrived. Then again, the GS series is built on deus-ex-machina.

I LOVE YOU.

That was....That was...For a lack of a better word, Beautiful? A wonderfully presented analyzation, both emotional and organized.

As for your question of what everyone pleaded at that point, I also pleaded Guilty, my reasoning being pretty much the same--Although I do like Maya, your job in the game is a lawyer. Keyword there being LAW. It has nothing to do with personal life, it has to do with defending innocents and stopping criminals. Letting a murderer run free while an innocent is convicted? No way, even WITHOUT the fact that at that point I hated Enguarde and loved Adrian. In the end it wasn't a question of "which character do I care more about" it was "what it was my role here?"
Though, despite that I do admit I had this moment of "I'M SORRY MAYA T_T" before Franzy's whip came in and saved the day. THAT SCENE WAS AWESOME.

---

Agreed! Doc, you are fantastic. Big kudos to you and your analytical skillz.

I, too, plead "guilty" for a number of reasons. At that point in the case, that final moment, my emotions had likewise been subjected to a turnabout, one might say. I had originally suspected the (seemingly) methodical and detached Adrian; I had originally believed in that, like, beautiful-yet-brainless Matt dude. Yet here the tables had turned and I had the option of setting a guilty client free and jailing an innocent, save her likely "obstruction of justice" or "tampering with evidence" charge.

The thing that swayed me, though, is Edgeworth. He presented the moral conflict in such a way that one would feel just awful should he or she let Engarde go free. Even Maya understood that "true" justice - the revelation of truth - was vastly more important than a win record, and was willing to sacrifice herself for the cause. And, yes, we can only thank Franziska that Ms. Fey was not relegated (or raised, perhaps?) to martyr status.

I pleaded 'Guilty' as well, because it seemed like the only reasonable thing to do:

1) Engarde was guilty. Therefore, I plead guilty. (What about Maya? See 2)
2) If I plead guilty, Maya dies, but Adrian is saved and Matt is punished. If I plead not guilty, Maya hates me, Adrian dies, and Matt gets off scot-free. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like I didn't have a choice. 2 out of 3 done right is better than 0 out of 3.

For me, Guilty was the only possible choice. I remember staring at the screen for several seconds when the question was posed to me, and then realizing, very suddenly, that the one thing I absolutely could not do was choose Not Guilty.

One of the obvious reasons, that many have stated so far, is simply the overriding theme of justice that was present in that case. There was a question of doing your job, which is, of course, to provide a fair and sound defense for your client; versus doing what is right which is, just as obviously, punishing the guilty and protecting the innocent.

When Maya's situation is thrown into the mix, however, another innocent is added and must be accounted for. The problem is, if justice is served by convicting Matt and releasing Adrian, then an injustice is done to an innocent (namely, Maya is killed). Conversely, if justice is done for Maya (saving her), then an injustice is done by freeing a murderer and convicting an innocent.

Throw in some emotional ties, and we have quite an issue on our hands.

For me, the defining factor was Maya herself. She wanted that guilty verdict. She knew very well what would happen to her, and yet she almost commanded Nick to serve punishment where it was due. That in itself was enough for me.

Well, Matt makes a good bad guy what with his brandy and scars ^_^ I also like Adrian so I'm really glad it wasn't her.


How do we know that she didn't just say that because she felt guilty about saving herself? Atually that would make sense seeing as Maya's quite a generous character (even if she does hide it sometimes XD). She would probably feel bad if she made Phoenix get a not guilty charge and she could probably see what happens when it goes to game over.

---

It's a possibility, I suppose. But I really don't think that was it. I think it goes without saying she would have felt terrible if Phoenix had pleaded Not Guilty for her sake - but I can't see it as something she took into account while she was writing her letter. If anything, I think she thought more about how guilty Phoenix would feel if he got Matt off the hook (though how she would have known that Guilty was the right way to go, I can't say). By her demanding the guilty verdict, I feel like she was trying to lessen any responsibility Nick may have felt for her death (if that makes any sense).

Then there's always the fact that her mantra the entire time was "Nick will save me, Nick will save me." Added to the fact that she was starving to death, it seems odd to me that she would suddenly accept her fate unless she put a lot of thought and reasoning behind it.

I knew that Maya would want me to get a guilty verdict from the start: discovering Maya's note made me pant with regret, yet...well, at that moment I suppose I knew what I would do should the decision came; the only victory there could be one where Maya was rescued and Engarde beaten, nothing less.

...But gawd, it hurt doing that to her. No, I mean it hurt; bad-ending style where everyone who didn't know would congratulate Phoenix for coming through, yet he'd still be destroyed because he couldn't save everyone, particularly Maya.

As for how she knew where she was...I can presume a few things: she's either an avid Matt Engarde fan too, and recognised Shoe or something else somehow, or Shelly De Killer let something slip.

---

My memory of the beginning of the case is somewhat blurry, but I seem to remember Maya being overjoyed about seeing the Nickel Samurai. That could be a testament to her Engarde fandom, perhaps. Good question, and if I find the time, I'll head back and doublecheck on that matter.

Yep, she's a Nickel Samurai fanatic too. The most prominent I remember is when you examine Matt's costume on his couch and Phoenix mentions that Maya would probably steal it.

The idea of her, being the obsessed fan that she is, somehow finding a clue to her captor's identity in his house is a good one.

Also it's possible that since she was being held captive by a professional assassin for Enguarde's acquittal she, like Gumshoe, took that as confirmation that Enguarde was indeed guilty.

---

Technically my first is just beforehand... when you see Edgey again, talking to Gumshoe sans the pink ('scuse me, maroon.) I'll admit it, I'm usually a really reserved, quiet person but I let out an audible fangirl scream when I saw that.
"EEEEEEEEEEEK! EDGEWORTH!"
Then to begin the case, Maya's disappearance was good. Matt's lack of a psyche-lock I saw through, as technically Phoenix only asked if *he* killed anyone. A psyche-lock wouldn't be required there. The down-to-the-wire feel, nearly having to pin Adrian for Matt's crime was killing me... Gumshoe's crash (god dammit!) and seeing De Killer's radio expressions. Edgeworth showing up (and again... eeeeeek!) and his last scene with Franziska...
Oh, and Oldbag. Especially with that laser gun emote, which cracked me up every time, without fail. Dunno why.
We better get GS3 over here.

---

I had spoiled myself silly before I even got either game. Because of that, it was all about Edgey for me. All about how he had changed as a person, his character development, how he gave up perfectionism. Even how he was willing to let a guilty man get away to help you save Maya. And yet, at the same time, you could tell that he trusted you and your sense of justice. Even though he was trying to teach you something, he knew that you both wanted the same thing. The most powerful thing for me was the effect the previous cases had on him and how both of you managed to pass it on to Franziska. That's the great thing about this game. Even though the prosecutors are technically your "enemies", they're still endearing and you can't help but applaud for them when they come back better than ever (and by that I mean not obsessed with perfection).

---

I should have waited until I was in a better mood to play that case. Concisely put, I thought it was overrated at the time save for the kidnapping of Maya. I had a feeling that Matt was the real killer but I was constantly trying to deny the fact. Then along comes the second half of the case:

*Player presented Shelly de Killer's card to Matt!*
*Matt's Psyche-Locks break!*
*Matt flips his hair back to bust out a glass full of brandy and flips his hair back to reveal gnarly scars!*
*Matt relentlessly mocks you for trusting him the whole time!*
*Player gets pissed but knows he can't do anything about it!*

Things started picking up but I was so confused and second-guessed myself so much that I had to resort to GameFAQs. I was too afraid to disprove Adrain as De Killer's client so the fact that she would have burned the letter had it been given to her never cross my mind. Neither did the hand writing on the letter.

Now when I think about it, it was an awesome case! But... I'm going to take a long break from any Phoenix Wright games for a while to brood on things. When I'm in the mood again I'll play it and enjoy every bit of 2-4.

P.S. I chose "Guilty" the first time because my thoughts were, "Matt you son-of-a-bitch! If Maya dies then you're going down with her!" and I knew Maya would never have forgiven me if I had sent an innocent person to prison. So, I guess I chose Justice over Pride.

---

Last edited by Mr. Bear Jew on Thu Apr 19, 2007 11:20 pm, edited 4 times in total.

Although I had the plot spoiled a good bit (I knew Matt was guilty, and I knew Shelly did it. Thankfully, I was still surprised when Matt turned evil), the evidence wasn't spoiled for me, which was very good. I constantly had this feeling of "how do I drag this trial out longer?", thinking of the most insane things I could claim to prolong the trial. As a result, my truly favorite part was the suicide note.

Me: Oh ****, Judge's gonna give a verdict again. Need to find something to stall, something to stall... Oh! Suicide note! They didn't check the handwriting! That's gotta buy me another testimony or two! Probably won't develop anything, though.
(one recess later)
Me: Huh, Edgeworth looks mad. Wonder why?
The suicide note... was a fake.
Me: WHAT?!?!?!

I could not stop laughing. That was just insane.

Hmm... most of it has already been said, but im gonna have to stick with the number 1 reason being because i've never really liked maya all that much anyway. I dont think i would care to much, (especially if ema would come back) if de Killer killed Maya. Honestly, the only reason i like Maya is ! call me shallow but...

Anyways, Matt is the first of the Phoenix Wright bad guys who i have just started swearing at, because of how he taunts you at the end of investigation. The only thing that kept me going through the trial while the crowd yelled at you was the thought of seeing Matt's face when Phoenix proved him guilty. Sadly, even though he had that nervous animation, i had really been hoping for a gant-style-shaking-his-fists-at-you expression from him. This was not to be, however. Oh well.

Oh, and speaking of the trial, that trial really switched the whole find-the-truth-at-the-last-moment phoenix wright thing. I had to take an hour long break before 's cross-examination because it played with my mind so much. This may not mean much, but i had pretty much been playing it straight since i had bought it (school excluded), so breaks were unheardof for me on the last cases final court day.

Dr. Mancusio is my favorite poster on this board. I went through the same thing in regards to Matt. I had been so used to hearing "Your client is definitely guilty, pal!" that even up to the very end I was expecting some kind of "...but I only hired him to scare Juan! I didn't order him to actually kill him!" copout.

A similar thing happened to me in PW1, actually, where at the point where the judge actually hands down a Guilty verdict (and before Larry speaks up about being on the lake that night), I had figured that I had done something wrong, missed something, and I very nearly reset my DS to start the chapter over again. It was only because I decided to wait for it to kick me back to the title screen that I managed to progress in the game. :P

I hope that a spoiled PW3 still manages to have those kinds of surprises, but this is more than likely wishful thinking. I'll just have to wishfully think that I've forgotten everything I know, pal!

I just finished JFA earlier and for me, this case was really good. Out of the 4 cases in JFA, this really stood out. It didn't only make me feel anxious of the real story behind but it also showed me emotions the characters never showed me before.