And yeah,we already did that case. Think:what other Layton case is left?

Minor spoiler, but these next three cases are all the remaining third cases left. And it was really damn hard to separate them into three separate spots. They're all very different, but each has factors that I absolutely love. The Inherited Turnabout takes the bottom spot of the three, due to the fairly odd pacing at times. That's actually the only reason it's at the bottom of these three. That's how close they are.

So this case actually encompasses two cases: The present cast, and IS-7, the case Gregory Edgeworth worked on up until the day of his death, DL-6. This is where the pacing part comes in, as following the two cases can be confusing at times, and on multiple occasions I mixed up the events of one case with the other. But anyway, we get to play as Gregory Edgeworth in this case, and that's how it starts off. We also get to investigate with younger Badd, which is absolutely amazing because Badd is like the best. Edgeworth Sr. (That's how I'm gonna refer to Gregory Edgeworth throughout the case) investigates both Master's and Scone's rooms with Badd, and then as they go off to investigate Dover's sculptures, they find them completely gone. And then the IS-7 story abruptly ends as you go back to the present (See how it can get confusing) and now you're back to playing as Edgeworth Jr. Gustavia, one of the chefs from IS-7, is poisoned in the Autumn Palace, and Larry was a witness. Pull some fancy Logic Chess moves on Larry, and then we get another one of his weird-ass sketches of unrealistic things. Courtney and Debeste show up and accuse Scone due to her being able to make the poison gas stuff. Edgeworth knows that Hall was the most likely culprit, but before anything else can happen, Dover's dead body floats up into the fountain and all the winter palace statues disappear. And then the case cuts right back to where IS-7 left off, with all of Dover's statues disappearing (Notice the similarity?). A lot of shit happens here, and it's proven that Gustavia and Dover worked together on their entries. Scone was sent by the Master Company to retrieve the ultimate prize, the Angel's Recipe, so in reality there were no honest contestants. Edgeworth Sr. shows that the real body of Dover was hidden, and that Manfred von Karma did not actually have it. This is where it ends, as the case lasts for a year. Master confesses, but Edgeworth Sr. proves that it was a forced confession, getting the head detective on the case removed from the force and von Karma penalized, which led to DL-6. Back to the present, Edgeworth then goes after Gustavia, the present victim, as the true culprit of IS-7. The interesting thing here is that the big thing isn't proving Gustavia did the crime; it's fitting his actions into the 15 year statute of limitations. Gustavia admits he did it, but this is 18 years after IS-7. Despite this, Edgeworth proves that some laws of the SOL had been enacted, and that the case was technically still going, meaning Gustavia is under arrest.

The characters are excellent, and all of them shine in their own ways. Gustavia and Dover are both mega-douches, and it's fun to see karma get to them both. Hall's determination to save Master is really beautiful, and it shows how grateful she really is. Larry is just Larry, which in other words is great. Gregory Edgeworth is really fun to play as, and his serious demeanor is similar to Edgeworth, yet different at the same time. Younger Badd is also awesome. Manfred von Karma is still a complete bastard. Scone is the weakest of the bunch, but her enigmatic persona is still pretty funny. The usual cast is all fine and good, but Shields is the real star, and his story of finishing Edgeworth Sr.'s last case is really cool to see finished.

So, that's the Inherited Turnabout. A fantastic case, but the pacing brings it down. Really, it's just tiny things that are bring down each of these three cases, but the pacing of this is a more major flaw than the other two.




Top 15! We're getting to the end soon, and what a better way to kick off the top 15 with a case of spoiled friendships! Happy times, am I right?

Basically, Athena and Apollo are at Themis Legal Academy because Phoenix and Klavier are gonna give seminars on their respective occupations as Lawyer and Prosecutor. There's also a mock trial, and Phoenix gives his spot up to Apollo so he can watch. Athena and Phoenix are chilling in the hall when they hear a thud sound and find Constance Courte, a professor at the school, dead on the stage. They (illegally) investigate, and Juniper Woods is arrested. Athena, being Juniper's kinda best friend, jumps to her defense, and takes on her case with Apollo as the assistant. The case follows the premise of the Mock Trial almost to a T, and since Juniper had access to the script, it's most likely her. The murder occurred in the art room on the third floor, and was done with an awl instead of the arrow found in the victim. Basically, everything is identical to the mock trial, which ended in a guilty verdict. Professor Means has true belief in Athena by saying that she won't win at the start, cementing himself as the worst motivational speaker ever. Athena cross examines Scuttlebutt (What a name), which leads to Newman being cross-examined, which leads to him being proven to be a girl. Did you follow that? Robin Newman, the dude who yells a shit ton, is actually a girl for...reasons. This gives Athena evidence to suggest that Newman is the actual culprit, since she had access to the script as well and was actually a female. Then Hugh is called to the stand, and another possibility is presented as a meeting between Hugh and Courte. But Blackquill is like "Haha f*ck you" and presents a photo that implicates Woods once again. Things go batshit crazy, as Newman confesses to the crime, then Woods confesses, then Hugh confesses. The trial is extended, and Athena goes back out to investigate some more. Through the investigation, it begins to look more and more like Hugh is the true culprit, and it ends with a bombshell from Woods saying that he was bleeding when she saw him that night. Hugh testifies, and he's all over the place. He starts out sane, but pretty soon he's proven to be 25 years old, not very smart after all, and he goes crazy trying to protect Juniper and get himself convicted. His testimony is almost useless except for the fact that he said that Means seat was empty, giving him no alibi. Athena proves Means to be the true killer, overcoming his "The ends justifies the means" bullshit.

The characters are the weak point of this case, as both Means and Scuttlebutt are meh. The friendship trio, however, is fantastic. Athena goes through a lot of character development in this case too. Apollo is his normal, sane person in a weird world self, Blackquill is fine, Klavier makes a cool, albeit small, cameo, and Phoenix is still Phoenix.

Well, down go another two cases. Turnabout Academy takes the middle spot of this 3 case stretch of third cases, as the two meh characters in Means and Scuttlebutt are better than the wonky pacing of I2-3. Next up, the final remaining third case, along with a fourth case.

#16-The Golden Court



And another Layton case falls! Well,sort of,since Layton isn't technically here....but it has fallen nevertheless! So let's start talking about it! This case is a great case,though with one flaw that prevents me from putting it in my top fifteen. But let's discuss it in detail now!

The story here is great! Luke,Phoenix,Maya,Barnham and Greyerl all undergo severe development,which is quite shocking for a crossover. The ending is just so sudden too,with Maya being dropped into the fire pit. Really was the emotional peak of this game. Newton and Greyerl are just so tragic and sympathetic,and even the ending confirms this further! The twist that it was a suicide was so darn unexpected,and I was seriously on the verge of tears for a moment. It's amazing how a game can emotionally impact you,much more a crossover. It's emotional at the core,which I feel is what AA is all about. It's great,and has no glaring flaws,unlike 6-3 or 6-2.

The mystery is also interesting,because the person who 'killed' Layton,the person who killed Belduke and the person who framed Maya are all different people. I guess in a sense Greyerl is the 'culprit' since she framed Maya,tried to kill Belduke and had a really emotional breakdown. The howdunnit was actually quite simple,which is quite neat. The spell supposedly used to commit the crime has no bearing on this case, which is neat. And don't forget DL-6 the use of a parrot as a witness who knows something incredibly important which you can indirectly infer from!



The characters are great! Phoenix shines here since Layton isn't constantly overshadowing him this time,and Espella,while boring,is quite a useful assistant. Maya is a good defendant,since you have ample reason to defend her. Luke is seriously amazing in the first part of the case,and is basically Apollo in 5-5 done better,since you know firsthand his relationship with the Professor. In the second half,he's a fun and useful assistant.

Greyerl is also a great character,and I feel more sympathetic than Darklaw and Espell in the final case. The twist that she was a girl though was rather obvious,since she was clearly voiced by one and looked like one. Belduke is great mysterious victim,and I feel the most tragic suicide victim (though Tahrust comes incredibly close). Emeer makes an incredible comeback and is a great comic relief for the parts that he's in. Barnham also becomes more interesting as his relationship with the characters is tinkered with.

...The other witnesses are rather mediocre though,but thankfully they only have minor roles. Birdly kept interrupting the music to play his own diddly,and I won't accept that unless it's Pees'lubn. I also preferred Bardly more as a character. Mrs. Primstone is a boring teacher,though her being Barnham's teacher made for a couple of interesting lines. Lettie is somewhat endearing,I guess,but she's unremarkable otherwise. Price also makes a cameo at one point,if only to point out what a cheat Emeer is. Oh yeah,and Birdly's parrot was a great mimicker. That's about it.



The presentation is as solid as ever,as mentioned in my write up of the second case. The music is greatly used and greatly composed. The gameplay is also good,although a bit easy and predictable throughout the trial. But there's just one flaw that keeps this case from getting any higher,and that's the pacing. The problem here is that there's a lot of testimonies in a row where not that much happens,especially at the end. And that really made me forget some parts of this case. It may seem minor,but it sadly impacted the level of enjoyment of this case for me.

And that's the Golden Court! While it is overall solid,there were a few patches of boredom in between that really affected my enjoyment,and thus I can't rank it much higher. I can only give this a 7.8/10. See you next time!

Next time,a final case from a game in my bottom five AA games.

What is by far the most maligned case in Apollo Justice, Turnabout Serenade is not only my favorite case in the game, but my favorite third case in the series. Who knew? While some parts of the plot make absolutely no sense whatsoever, for whatever reason this is the only case that I tend to look past them completely besides Turnabout Samurai. Ignore the weird plot holes, and this is actually a pretty fun case.

The case is somewhat of a locked room mystery, since both Apollo and Ema were guarding the door when the murder occurred. The victim is Romein LeTouse, who might have the most random pun-name in all history. Nothing says concert manager and undercover Interpol agent like Lettuce, am I right? He was shot with a 45-caliber, which is one hell of a revolver. I honestly don't know if I could shoot that thing. The big mystery with this case is that it follows the lyrics of the song 'The guitars serenade" that Lamiroir had sung earlier. This works phenomenally, and the mystery it creates is just utterly fantastic. The final trick of the murder not going by the song lyrics is also brilliant, and it was very smart of the killer to do so to throw off the investigation. Of course, the main problem is that the defendant, Tobaye, is a blind child. The likelihood of a blind child shooting a 45-caliber and dragging the victim onto the stage without being seen while being blind (At least, he's thought to be blind) is absolutely unrealistic. The other big problem here is the lack of other witnesses, with only Lamiroir and Daryan being the conceivable suspects (Valant was a potential one, but at the same time not really). And once Lamiroir is attacked, it's blatantly obvious that it has to be Daryan. But, Lamiroir saying that Daryan was the killer at the end of the first trial really threw me off, and I originally took that as a sign that Daryan was innocent. But, in the end, Daryan is indeed guilty. He smuggled in a Borginian Cocoon to sell to the Chief Justice, and he used Tobaye to smuggle them from Borginia into the US. He wasn't able to get to them, and taking them would've alerted LeTouse, so he had to burn them instead, spurring the idea of following the lyrics. When Tobaye is proven innocent and admits to the smuggling, Daryan has no choice but to confess.

There aren't many characters in this case, but the few that are in it are very, very good. Lamiroir is another character that inside is genuinely a good person, but she does lie to protect her secret of being blind from being exposed. Machi is uncooperative like all the other AJ defendants, but he's not horrible by any means. LeTouse is the definition of a mediocre victim, as he never really does anything. The real star is Daryan Crescend. I'm a sucker for really good villains, and Daryan is a really good villain. Easily the best villain in AJ for me, even better than Kristoph. His weird hair also is a great, because weird hair is always a bonus.

And just like that, Apollo Justice is off the board. Only 7 games remain, and it'll be a while until the next one is knocked off. But just because AJ was knocked off so soon doesn't mean it's bad at all. Hell, it only has one "bad" case in 4-2. Everything else placed in the top 25. It's a great game that would fit in right in the middle of my game rankings.




Man, this case is deep. A lot of stuff happens in this case, and it arguably is the most important case to Edgeworth's character development, although I would still say 1-4 is more important. There's a lot to unpack here, and the main cast of characters goes through a lot here.

The weird thing with this case is that the murder isn't really a huge focus most of the time. Sure, it's the main thing you're trying to prove, but there's another incident as well, and it's one people are much more interested in solving. Someone apparently tried to kill Kay by pushing her off the tower, but she somehow survived and is now amnesiac. It's heartbreaking to see Kay lose all of her energy and spirit, as she is now a much more reserved and polite person. Seeing Edgeworth, Gumshoe, and Shields trying to restore her memory is one of the main aspects of the case. As for the murder, the victim, Jill Crane, was stabbed with a candelabra (Not the best way to go). In reality, she was hit over the head and died from blunt force, but the person in charge of the autopsy was an accomplice and had changed the cause of death. In reality, the actual murder was much more complex than Crane being stabbed in the PIC meeting room. Crane was after a black market auction, which was also being held in the PIC meeting room. She entered it just to take down the auction leader, and once she had won, she went alone with him to the 51st floor to confront him. However, the auction leader was prepared, and killed her there with the auction gavel. Crane wasn't dead yet, and she escaped to the top floor before dying on the roof. Kay saw the dead body, and fell into the storage room, losing her memory. The auction leader then took advantage of this to pin the crime on Kay. Edgeworth naturally defended Kay, but Courtney's repeated warnings of him losing his badge if he continued did nothing. In maybe the most powerful moment of the game (There's another one later in the case) Edgeworth turns in his badge to keep fighting for Kay. It's this that really shows Courtney that Edgeworth isn't going to give up. When Edgeworth accuses Blaise Debeste, the head of the PIC, of being the black auction leader and the murderer, Courtney fights with him. The moment where she indicts Debeste instead of Edgeworth is one of the craziest moments in the series, and it's a great WTF moment. Of course, Sebastian doesn't like that his dad is responsible, and he goes off and hides when Blaise is found guilty. Edgeworth then returns Kay's promise notebook to her (This is the other moment I was talking about) and Kay's memories return.

Once again, the cast is absolutely stellar. Edgeworth and Kay are the obvious main focus, and this is where Edgeworth really questions whether he should be a prosecutor or a defense attorney. Gumshoe also goes through a bit of development, mostly just because he has no idea what to do since Edgeworth quit. Courtney's true motivations are revealed here, and for once you actually don't think she's just a dick. Sebastian doesn't do a whole lot, and his big moment comes in the next case. Blaise is a fairly obvious villain, and his past crimes make him more interesting. He becomes much better in I2-5, but just by going off of I2-4 he great, but not special. Crane also becomes more important in I2-5, but she's a great victim in I2-4. Young and Jenson are a fun tandem, and Jenson being the accomplice was unexpected. Lotta makes a surprise appearance here, and so does Ema. Both of these cameos are handled much, much better than a lot of the cameos in the first Investigations game. Franziska is here too, but I honestly don't really remember what she did.

Prosecutor's Path is easily the most connected game in the series, as all 5 cases are intricately tied to one another. They're all solved in the last case, but who knows when that'll show up? Next up, two cases that were added after the original game was released.

isn't right. You'll see tomorrow. It'll be a twist that no one was expecting

If it isn't 5-5, then I'm thinking 6-5.

#15-Adventure of the Unspeakable Story



And here it is! The final case nobody expected to see yet was the most obvious one so far has fallen! I know this is going to get a lot of flak though. I mean,this is the second weakest final case?! Well,keep in mind that this is twice as high as Turnabout Ablaze for me and it is still in my top fifteen,but yeah,it's worse than the final case of even DD and Layton for me. Heck,even a few filler cases (1-3,6-4,4-1) are higher than this! But why? You know the drill by now,so let me go into detail about the case.

The opening of the case is actually nice and quiet. It's more than an hour into the case that the crime actually occurs,but it gives us all time to take everything in-the calm before the storm,as it were. Though that doesn't mean everything is neat though,there are a few events beforehand that provide very subtle foreshadowing-foreshadowing to stuff that isn't even answered in the end (can you guess why this isn't my favourite final case now?).

Yes,you guessed right. It's the darn story that really irks me. Oh,don't get me wrong,the murder of Hutch was very clearly explained,and I can understand everything perfectly there. It's everything else that gets on my nerves. Why did Megundal want the music disc? Who was Baroque's friend who betrayed him? How did Susato know about the name of Holmes's book? Why is the name of the case referring to the Hound of the Baskervilles when it doesn't even play a major role? Why was Watson killed? WHAT DO THE NAMES ON THE MUSIC DISCS EVEN MEAN?!

These are all loose ends that are never cleared up at all,and it really irks me. I know,it's because the story was too big to be put into one game,but still,these are all intricate parts in the main story that DGS is building up to,and they aren't even answered! I know that some stuff in the first game like Misty Fey was kept a mystery until later,but here's the thing-they only mildly alluded to her being alive,and she wasn't really that much of a player in the story there (besides channeling Gregory). Here,these are HUGE parts to the mystery,and they're only kept as a sequel hook!

Yeah,I don't really like that part of the story. But everything else was actually quite good! Stuff like Ryu realising he got a guilty man off the hook and Susato forging the crime scene to catch the criminal was really well written and alluded to 2-4 in a way. Even Gregson giving info about the scene to the killer just for the disc really caught me off guard. It's all well written and nice.



The mystery is good. It reminds me of the Golden Court with the pawn shop being extremely similar to the alchemist's house. I find it somewhat hilarious that Sherlock didn't even get shot directly,it was his chemicals that did that they damaged him. It was mind blowing yet hilariously Sherlock-like. Egg Benedict Robert Crogrey was a good villain and reminded me of Dee Vasquez in that he was somewhat obvious yet really tricky to catch. The twist that he killed Megundal was unexpected but cool.

The characters are good. I've talked about most of the main characters already,but not Gina. She's a great defendant,and you're not even sure if you can trust her due to her role in case 3. That scene where she openly cries was really sweet. Poor Hutch was just caught up in everything,but the fact that they kept using the fact that he threatens to kill himself over a mistake as a joke really makes me feel uncomfortable.

Robert,as said already,is a great villain,but his alias was hilarious. I did like the fact that he was somewhat sympathetic as well. But he also went down a bit easy in the end. After you prove that Gregson hid the disc,he tries to choke him...but doesn't use that as leverage to get out of the court,and just sorta admits to everything afterwards. It felt like an anticlimax to a really tricky confrontation. The Tinpillars were also hilarious characters,and their relation with Robert was really nice.



Sherlock is once again great,but I feel that he should've been your assistant for a bit longer. Either way,the way he interrupted the stalemate at the pawnshop by telling everyone how to rob a bank was unexpected but fit him perfectly. The other main characters were surprisingly plain. Iris,Baroque,Vortex...they didn't really do much in the end.

The jury this time was alright. It was nice to see Garrideb again,and the use of the typewriter lady again as a telegram lady was neat and actually contributed to the plot. The reuse of the models of the old man and the maid felt to me that they were running out of models though,and the whole thing with the stereoscope guy felt a bit forced. Dmitri's surprise return definitely took me by surprise and was incredibly hilarious. He was the star of the show for sure.

Is that all of them..? Oh wait,nearly forgot the most important one. Wagahai was absolutely adorable and I'm sad silly Sōseki forgot about him. Moving on!

The presentation was as stellar as ever,and really added to the whole stereoscope thing. The music was as grand as ever. The credits this time were alright,but I felt that the characters didn't really do or say that much. I'm sad that Hosonoga stayed a sailor,but I'm happy that Pat was let off easy. The gameplay is alright. The investigation and the joint reasoning were good,and the trial segment was also fine. I did feel though that for the first part,the testimonies and joint reasoning was like case four,in how they alternated constantly. Thankfully they desisted afterwards.

And that's the fifth case of DGS! It's a good final case,if you take away the incomplete story away. In the end,those holes make a huge difference. You can hate on the endings to the Layton crossover and DD all you want,but at least they were more complete than this! So I give this a 7.81/10! And since it's a week before Christmas,have a doodle!



Aw,isn't that cute? See you tomorrow!

Next time,a third case in which Edgeworth undergoes some serious character development.

One thing I'm guessing many of you have noticed by now is that I absolutely love the add-on cases in the series. There's 3 in total, and just like the final three third cases, they're all coming back-to-back-to-back. What a better way to kick it off than with Turnabout Reclaimed, a case where you defend an orca because...well, why the hell not?

So, defending an orca is definitely...different. There's no visits to detention (At least on the first day) and you can't really...talk to her. That makes finding out what happened rather difficult. The accusation is that Orla pulled her master into the water and dragged him around and killed him. Not very pleasant at all. Of course, Phoenix believes in all of his defendants, even the ones that have no idea what a lawyer is. He defends Orla, proves the witness wrong (I don't blame the witness though. How much would it suck to wake up, go to an aquarium, and see an orca kill a guy?) and then proves Orla innocent again when Simon changes his argument. Of course, Simon has a backup plan, and changes his accusation to Sasha, Orla's trainer (I keep misspelling Orla as Oral ). Now, Phoenix gets to defend an actual human, and not an animal. So, yay for him?

Now that there's an actual human suspect, you're allowed to move around more since humans aren't restricted to their cages. And it's during day 2 where we meet Doctor Crab, AKA the absolutely most suspicious person I have ever seen in an Ace Attorney case. Everything about him screams that he's the murderer, and when I heard that he would be the witness on day 2, I was 100% sure that it was him. Hell, it gets to a point where it looks very likely that Crab tried to kill Orla, giving him a very solid motive for trying to pin the crime on her. But start cross examining him, and it becomes more and more apparent that Crab is actually one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, red herring in the franchise. In reality, Crab is one of the good guys, focusing his efforts on saving Orla. He even, in what I think was illegal, saved the other orca after she was semi-accused of murdering someone a year ago. Back to the case, the true culprit now is pretty much a toss-up between anyone. There aren't any leads, and now Rimes is coming up to the stand. But Rimes testified yesterday, so he couldn't be the killer, right? Well, wrong. Rimes is indeed the culprit(ish). His true target was Orla, but instead Shipley fell into the drained pool and died. Rimes then tried to pin the crime on Orla. Everything is looking like it's wrapped up, but Phoenix ain't done yet. A new piece of evidence is presented showing Rimes' handprint on the victim's arm in an odd position. Combined with the odd handprint on the ladder, and the truth is revealed. Rimes didn't kill the victim. He tried to save him. It's a heartbreaking yet happy ending, and no one has to go to prison. And unlike L-4, it's handled well, because we still get a confrontation with a bad guy (Rimes transformation gives the impression of him being a douchebag.)

At this point, all the remaining cases have very, very good casts, and this one is no exception. Sasha is a great character, although her sea puns leave a lot to be desired. She's always helpful and I never had a moment where I wanted to avoid her. DePlume is the stereotypical weird first witness, but she gets serious at the end and works with you to solve the case. Crab is a personal favorite of mine, and his shady behavior makes him look very guilty at the start. But in the end, everything he does was for the greater good. Also, his penguin is adorable. Shipley was a good victim, and an honorable man. It's a shame we never got to talk to him. Orla is cute, but nothing special. Rimes is the obvious star, and his blind hate of the orca is huge, and when he realizes how much he actually did at the end, it's great to see him repenting for everything. The main cast doesn't really do a whole lot here, but they don't bring down the case or anything. Pearl is in it too, and anything with Pearl is immediately like 70x better.

You may be wondering, why is Reclaimed at the bottom? I haven't really said anything bad about it at all. But there is one issue, and that is...well, I honestly don't know. I think it's just a matter of me preferring the other 11 cases over this one. There's nothing bad in this case, but there's more good in the other 11.




One thing I've always wondered with Rise from the Ashes is whether it can be classified as a final case or not. Like 6-6, it takes place after the events of the main game. Unlike 6-6 though, this case is long. Very, very long. I think it might be the longest case in the series actually (It might be 6-5 now, not entirely sure.) With the most evidence ever in a case, and essentially three different trials, a lot happens here.

So, this happens a month-ish after 1-4, and Phoenix is all lonely and stuff because Maya is gone. Ema shows up looking for Mia, and for some reason Phoenix is compelled to take her case and defend her sister. Unfortunately, Lana is one of the least cooperative defendants in the series. She not only doesn't talk to you, but she flat out admits to the murder. For when this came out, that was huge. That doesn't stop Phoenix though, and he takes her case nonetheless and looks into the murder. It happened in the Prosecutor's office, in Edgeworth's super fancy car. You also go to his office for the first time, and it's great to see him after the hell that was 1-4. The main witness for the crime is Angel Starr, a lunch lady who you don't exactly know much about besides that she has like 12 boyfriends and will genuinely freak you out sometimes. In reality, she was a part of the SL-9 incident, but you go much more in-depth with that case on day 3. You prove she's lying here and there, but her main idea remains. No matter what she did or how illogical Lana's actions were, you can't find a single conclusive problem in her testimony. Things are looking bad until Damon Gant shows up, and basically says that the victim was also killed at the police department. So, the victim was killed in two separate places. This saves Phoenix's butt and extends the trial.

Now Phoenix has to deal with a second murder, leaving him no choice but to investigate the police department. You met him on day one, but Marshall makes a much bigger appearance here. As the evidence room guard, he's a key witness to the crime. The defendant is, god help all of us, Mike Meekins (NOOOOOO). He makes his debut as one of the worst characters in the series. Now, as for the crime itself, it all takes place on camera, showing off the DS's capabilities. It's a shame this wasn't used in any of the other DS games (AJ, AAI, PP). Unfortunately, the camera pans back and forth, so you really have to focus on what has changed between the two parts. It's kinda like those "Find the differences" puzzles. You show that "Goodman" was actually Jake Marshall in disguise, meaning the entire murder was faked. Phoenix is naturally happy that he proved this, but it really does nothing but incriminate Lana more. However, there was a bloodstained handprint on one of the lockers, and the excessive amount of blood points to another murder occurring as well. Phoenix gets one more day to figure all this stuff out.

With no major leads besides the ID of the likely culprit, Phoenix now turns back to SL-9. He begins investigating, and Gant starts to look rather suspicious. Wright visits Edgeworth's office, and Ema finds a letter of resignation on the floor. Due to the stress of his recent mistakes and the continual calling for his head, Edgeworth is giving up on his occupation as prosecutor. Phoenix is able to use this letter of resignation to convince Gumshoe to lend him is ID card and enter Gant's office. Phoenix uses the mystery ID to unlock the safe, and it works, meaning that Gant is pretty much the guilty party at this point. He finds 3 crucial pieces of evidence, but before he can continue investigating, Gant returns, takes Ema, pretty much fires Gumshoe, and kicks Phoenix out. Lana tries to confess again, but Edgeworth instead calls Ema to the stand to testify about SL-9. Using the drawing found in Gant's office, Phoenix proves that Neil was the one holding the knife, that it occurred on the other side of the office, and that Ema was actually the most likely culprit. When she shoved Darke tos ave Neil, she had accidentally shoved Neil into a suit of armor, killing him. This of course was what Lana wanted to prevent, and Ema fainted from the shock. Edgeworth is also unfairly punished for getting Darke convicted, despite the evidence being forged without him knowing. Now Phoenix is the only one that can summon witnesses, and he summons the man of the hour, Damon Gant. Gant enacts his right to refuse to testify as Chief of Police, leaving Phoenix with only one way out: Lana. Lana continues to deny about everything in her attempts to save Ema, but Phoenix then realizes that Gant arrived before Lana. He had forged the scene, and there was a chance that Ema was actually innocent. This spurs Lana to tell the truth, but before she can finish, Gant interrupts and tells Phoenix to present the cloth proving Ema to be the killer. Phoenix denies this at first, causing Gant to accuse him of stealing it from his safe. Of course, this proves that he had concealed evidence, proving everything Phoenix had said to be true except for Gant being the killer. Now, Phoenix presented it, saying that rather than proving Ema guilty, it proved Gant guilty. Panicked, Gant called it illegal evidence, but Phoenix had played the situation perfectly. In actuality, it was illegal until Gant had made it relevant, and therefore legal. This is the end for Gant, and he breaks down. But rather than going out saying how he hates everyone, that they'll go to hell, etc, etc, he goes out gracefully. He semi-repents, wishing that he could go back to his old life. He also has faith in the courts, and that as long as Phoenix and Edgeworth are there, the truth will always be found.

On to the cast. Lana and Ema are great, and their bonds are unbreakable. Lana's determination to protect Ema, and Ema's determination to save Lana, show how close they really are. Meekins is trash. Starr and Marshall are very similar, and both of their determination to solve SL-9 is pretty cool. Marshall especially, since his brother died in it. Gant is a fantastic villain, and his way of going out was really damn awesome. Phoenix and Edgeworth are also great, and Edgeworth's inner struggles are very well written. Goodman's attempts to resurrect SL-9 were also key to taking down Gant.

Now, it's finally time to get to the top 10! Next up, the last DLC case and one of the remaining second cases.

AA: 1-4
JFA: 2-4
T&T: 3-2, 3-5
AAI: I-4
PP: I2-5
DD: 5-4, 5-5
SOJ: 6-2, 6-5, 6-S

The case art for this case is NEARLY perfect. Everything flows super well...except for Phoenix. He looks so...angry? Unenthused? I honestly have no idea what's going on with him there. The case art just about sums up my feelings for Turnabout Time Traveler, actually. There's some very obvious flaws, but the rest of the case is so god damn amazing that it covers them up quite well. It's the polar opposite of Turnabout Reclaimed, which had a lot of very good, but nothing amazing. This has a lot of amazing and some not very good.

Taking place just a few months after the events of the main game, Larry shows up with a bride. Phoenix is of course confused, and as it turns out, said bride is a criminal suspect and now the police are surrounding Phoenix's office. She's taken away, and Larry begs Phoenix to take her case even though she's not even his bride. Larry still thinks he has a chance with her, and Phoenix reluctantly agrees. Maya and Edgeworth show up together at the crime scene, and now the whole gang's back together, just like old times. This is one of the key themes of this case, as it feels a lot like a trilogy case rather than a DD/SoJ case. The crime itself is complicated, since the defendant, Ellen Wyatt, claims that she time traveled. Of course, no one believes her because time travel does not exist. Well, except for Larry. He's got another one of his weird sketches (Note: Any case with a Larry sketch is a good case) that pictures a pterodactyl outside the Flying Chapel. Speaking of which, I forgot to mention that the crime takes place on a church blimp because it's cool. Anyway, Phoenix goes to court and has to cross-examine Larry which obviously ends up with a result no one saw coming. There indeed was "time travel" as Sorin had conspired to have a second wedding reception to make Wyatt believe that the murder never happened. Phoenix then claims a third party, and the trial is off to a second day. In another way of showing that this is more of a trilogy case, this is in reality the only "2-day case" in the game. Both 6-3 and 6-5 have 2 days, but they also have 2 murders, and each trial focuses on a separate murder. This is the only case where the same case spans two trial days.

Now that the murder is confirmed to be on the vista deck, Phoenix is ready to take down his personal suspect: Sorin himself. Blood is found in the hold, and when Sorin is showed the bloody candelabra, he starts bleeding from the stomach and faints, suggesting that he was the one that was stabbed. This is also where it's first suggested that Sorin has a memory problem, and this is made into a much bigger deal later in the case. Of course, Wyatt is pissed that Phoenix believes that Sorin did it, going so far as to confess herself just to save Sorin. The second trial day rolls around, and Sorin believes that Wyatt was the killer, despite it being in his best intentions. However, it was the opposite, as Sorin had climbed across the side of the ship to get to Wyatt before Gloomsbury could. Sorin knocked him out, and, believing him to be dead, wrote his confession in his notebook. Sorin has anterograde amnesia, so anything written in his notebook becomes his "memories". His butler, Nichody, tore out the page with the confession to try and protect Sorin, causing him to go into a panic on whether any of his other memories had been tampered with. In truth, his butler didn't do it to try and protect Sorin at all; he actually did it so Wyatt would be suspected. Nichody's fiance, Sorin's sister, had been killed in a car accident that Sorin caused. This led Nichody to try and do to Sorin what he had done to him. Nichody ends up being caught, and Sorin and Ellen live happily ever after. Larry also catches the wedding bouquet, and all of the girls chase after him. Hey, at least the girls are chasing him instead of vice versa.

It's in the cast that both the main flaws and the strengths come from. One of the major parts in this case is how it tries to emulate the trilogy cases, and it succeeds quite well in that regard. Phoenix, Maya, Larry, and the Judge are written on point. Edgeworth is also written like his trilogy self, but that's the odd thing here. After all of his development in the Investigations series, you'd say he's regressed mightily here. But it's not in the entire case; in the investigations sections, he's exactly like you'd envision an older Edgeworth. He's quiet, polite, smart, and reserved. He's not a dick, but in the trial sessions he definitely is one at times. His flip-flopping from each persona is the major flaw in this case, which is a shame since he's my favorite god damn character in the series. But there's a major plus here too, and that comes in the form of Pierce Nichody. I've said before how a strong villain can greatly help a case, and that's exactly what Nichody does here. He's enjoyable in his regular form, but when his demeanor changes he becomes funny as hell. He does not give a shit about what you think, and he will shut you down fast. He's also pretty smart in that he doesn't testify himself, instead forcing Phoenix to ask the questions. But it's the end that truly highlights how good he is of a villain. He says that he knows that Selena wouldn't approve of what he was doing, but he went through with it anyway. It's one thing when a villain says "OMG I'M SO SORRYYYYYYYY" (Ex: Lance). It's another when they don't ask for forgiveness, but show that they regret their actions. And that final moment when his pocket watch begins working again is easily the highlight of the case. Ellen and Sorin are pretty cute, but honestly they don't play a massive role, especially Ellen. Sorin plays a bigger role, but it's quickly overshadowed by Nichody and his backstory.

So, that wraps up the DLC cases. Turnabout Time Traveler took plenty of risks, most of them succeeding. It's a fantastic case and a great way to start the top 10.




And down goes another Spirit of Justice case. This game seriously impressed me, and it's no surprise which one is the last one remaining. The Magical Turnabout is a fantastic case 2, and it's a much better case than Apollo's last pair of case 2's (Turnabout Corner and The Monstrous Turnabout). With Trucy also getting some well-deserved spotlight, it's truly a magical experience. (I'll go kill myself now)

The most unique part about this case is that the structure is different. Rather than having two days, there's one long investigation and one long trial. And when I say long, I mean really damn long. Both last 2+ hours, and since they're the only one of each, both have a lot compacted into them. The investigation is one of the strangest ones in the series, and that's a good thing. I honestly had no idea what to expect next. It starts out at Trucy's show, but a dead body pops up on stage and everything is closed down. Trucy is naturally arrested, and she has a touching moment with Apollo here. He motivates her and tells her that everything will be fine, and Trucy cries in fear. It's heartbreaking, and all of Trucy's new expressions are done beautifully. It ends with Trucy in a much brighter mood, and Apollo is now determined to save her. The victim is Manov Mistree, or "Mr. Reus". He was a former (retconned) fifth member of the Gramarye troupe, and now he was out for revenge on Trucy only because she's a Gramarye. At first, Trucy's assistant Bonny seems nice enough, but when Apollo spy on her and Retinz, she shows her true colors as a spiteful psycho. Speaking of Retinz, he's the real douchebag and the fairly obvious culprit, despite his rock-solid alibi. He tricked Trucy into practically giving up the WAA office, and he shows no remorse for her arrest. He's constantly working against you, and it gets to the point where he even comes to the office to take it by force. He even brings the paparazzi with him to document Apollo and Athena's resistance. Of course, Apollo isn't swayed, and a call from Phoenix saying that he believes in Apollo gives him the motivation to finish this case and save both Trucy and the office.

The trial also has plenty of twists that were very, very unexpected. It's also Nahyuta's introduction as a prosecutor, and he's certainly not shocked to see Apollo. This always has seemed odd to me, but I guess he's just suppressing it or something. Ema takes the stand, and she definitely doesn't wanna be there. She complains multiple times and says that she believes that Trucy is innocent. Despite this, she does her job, and Nahyuta rewards her for this. Bonny testifies next, and Apollo draws out her true feelings for Trucy. This in actuality isn't Bonny's true feelings; they're her twin sister's, Betty's. Bonny and Betty are indeed twins, and it's the secret to their disappearing act. It was shocking to say the least, and both were crucial to the murderer's plot. The real killer was of course Retinz, but his motive is the interesting part. Footage from the coffin shows that the "Mr. Reus" that died didn't have the scars that the real Mr. Reus had after he failed a magic trick. Retinz does have these scars, confirming him to be Mr. Reus. It also is why Retinz had it out for the Gramarye name. He set up the scene so that when the dragon dropped, Mistree would be yanked upward and into a sword waiting at the top, killing him. The only reason he killed Mistree (Who was just a fan of Mr. Reus) was to use his death to get Trucy accused, and to then use the forged contract to take the office and all of Trucy's belongings. It's a dirty trick, but Apollo proves what really happened, and Retinz has arguably the best breakdown in the series.

Naturally, the characters are all very good. Retinz is in the race for best villain in SoJ (There's a lot of good villains in SoJ), and his carefree surfer dude douchebag attitude isn't grinding at all, although I did want to punch him because he's such a dick. Bonny and Betty are fantastic, and seeing Bonny escape from her sister's grasp and to try and prove Trucy innocent was really cool. And seeing Betty somewhat repent at the end was cool as well. Nahyuta is meh, nothing special. Apollo and Trucy both grow a lot in this case, and it's safe to say they come out much more mature and battle-tested than they were before.

And thus, The Magical Turnabout comes to a close. It's a fantastic case, but at times the pacing is a bit weird. Usually it helps the case, but at a few times it brings it down slightly. Next up, two fourth cases. Also, at least one of the next cases is a final case.

#14-Turnabout Samurai



And the very first filler case in the series has come down! I don't think anyone really expected this case to be up high,but let me tell you-this is one of my favourite filler cases of all time. And boy oh boy let me tell you about it!

This case takes place a few months after 1-2,and everything's calmed down since then. It starts off nice and quiet,with Phoenix and Maya trying to figure out the basics of what's going on. But although everyone thinks poor Will did it,they just barely manage to find a clue that really helps them out.

The presentation here has LOTS of nuance. I love that the backgrounds are so generic yet so unique. The colouring on the backgrounds is just right. It's a wonderful trip into the TV studio,and it really shows. It's super cool. Even the characters have very soothing colour schemes,and the music here is very fun and introduces the classic Steel Samurai theme!



The mystery here is super neat too. This is the first time they pull the 'the crime scene was somewhere else' shtick,but I LOVED it here! It was so cool,yet not really that huge. It's set up wonderfully too,and the way they show you the map in the first trial was super calming yet allowed us to try and think properly. The twist that there were more people in the studio that day was also really interesting,and was a huge "D'oh! Why didn't I think of that?!"

The whodunnit is a tad obvious on the second day in retrospect,but it's somewhat countered by the fact that you aren't really used to the tropes of the characters yet. Could it be Sal? Or Penny? Or Oldbag? Or even Cody!? Maybe it could've even been Will! You aren't quite sure because they could possibly be red herrings or something. Plus the twist that it was just in self defence and the victim was actually out for blood somewhat even it out in the surprise factor.

The gameplay is also good. The investigations were immensely fun to play through (though this does introduce a few weird parts) and the trials were filled with mind boggling twists and even a touch of character development! The testimonies were all good and the last one was particularly clever. I know people don't like the fetch quest in day two of investigation,but personally I didn't mind,as it gave us more time to properly explore the areas.

All in all,the mystery is great. There are a few rough patches here (why is motive negated in the first day but not in the last;why couldn't the bigwigs just have jumped over the bushes;why is the spear entertained as the murder weapon until the last day), but it's still really enjoyable overall and does a lot of new things for the series.

The story is enjoyable and fantastic. The truth behind a few years is simple,but very tragic in a sense. When they flash back into it in the final trial,it really paints Vasquez as truly sympathetic. The way the characters treat it as taboo really gives this eerie feeling throughout.



The characters are all great fun! Oldbag makes her debut here,but this is my personal favourite appearance of her,as this the only time where you actually feel sorry for her. The part where she gives you the photo was just a great WHAT moment,and actually painted quite a nice picture of her. Will is the classic defendant that got arrested but really didn't do anything (come to think of it,every game has one of those. There's Will....Maggey....Maggey....okay,maybe not all of them).

Penny is hated upon for being personality-less but I feel that everyone's forgetting about the part where she freaks out over the rare card and unleashes her inner fan girl. That legitimately had me laughing out loud over how unexpectedly hilarious that was. She's way better as a character than Lisa Basil. Cody is the classic child who witnessed his role model get killed,and I really felt darn sorry for him. Sal is...ugh,get that away from me. Dee is a good sympathetic villain but also very fun to take down.

Maya starts being her normal self from here,and is rather fun to converse with. Gumshoe here is also great. I love the part where he saves you from Vasquez's goons. It's so well paced and exciting. Edgeworth also undergoes some very crucial development here,what with his inner Steel Samurai fanboy finally coming out helping on the last day as he realises that a Guilty verdict isn't all that matters.



And that's this case! It's a really good and underrated filler case,and I really do feel it deserves way more love than it gets. So let's give it a head start by giving it a 7.82/10! See you next time!

Hint for the next 'un: It's a case where 'Thena' and 'Simey' play major roles.

#13-Turnabout Storyteller



And another (and technically the last!) filler case falls! This one should be even more controversial because while 1-3 received a mediocre reception,this one is seriously mixed. You've got people saying they loved it,you've got people who hate it,and even some people who were indifferent to it. Me? I feel the negative reception applies more for Case 4 of DGS. The positive reception? Yeah,judging by the placement of this case,you've probably gathered that I agree with them. But let me specify.

The opening of this case is strange,as most players didn't know what was going on. Mainly because we didn't know a thing about Rakugo,and the voices were also weird. The case starts abruptly in 'America',where Athena's at the courthouse already. And it never shifts from this location,so just the whole pacing of the case is bizarre (sort of like D-4). It's not even really short,it's just in the courtroom the whole time. It's Turnabout Beginnings,but without any relevance to the story. And this is sort of why most people hate it. But while I did find this setup rather jarring,I still decided to give it a chance (though I really couldn't skip this case).

The presentation here isn't as strong as the rest of the game,unfortunately. That's mainly due to the whole case being only in court,but it definitely has a lot of rough spots as well. Geiru's pose from the bottom looks like they just copy pasting her model there. She keeps making all these balloon animals,but they just kinda disappear for a couple lines. The real lack of evidence (barely 2 pages!) is also kind of a hindrance. The music....well,there's only Uendo's theme,and that's pretty catchy,I guess. Um....



Right,right! The mystery here is...rather simplistic,really. A few tricky contradictions here and there,but it's rather simple and easy to see coming. The Mood Matrixes can be a bit tricky,but the actual testimonies are easy to see through. The culprit was apparent from the get-go and the motive felt really weird. Not that great,really.

The story was even simpler than that,though! The motive,like I said,was rather off-putting. But that's not really all. The victim was really stupid in his 'harsh love' techniques and he completely deserved what he got. I do like that the stakes were lowered though. It put much less pressure on you and let you calmly concentrate. In terms of character development? ...eh. Athena goes through some,I guess,but it feels like a bit of a sequel hook. Nahyuta remains a jerk,and the judge embraces his inner pervert. That's about it.

and thats why this is my favourite case 10/10

Really though,I know this sounds like a mediocre review to you,but I saved the best parts for last.

The characters are hilarious. They all have good chemistry and their dialogue flows well. They all bounce off of each other nicely,too. Take Nahyuta and Simon;or Simon and Athena; or Athena/Blackquill and the rakugo artists. It all flows beautifully and it leads to some laugh out loud moments. Like when Uendo confuses emotions for 'string cheese',or Nahyuta performing rakugo for the court,or Uendo getting drunk off of one little bun.

Speaking of him,I liked Uendo's DID thing. It meshed together perfectly with his design and while the characters weren't particularly deep,they all led to some good laughs. Owen especially. How can you not love him? Aww,don't cry,little guy. Bucky I also didn't really mind. He gave a few laughs and it was fun for me to voice him inside my head. The way he sobers up at the end was pretty neat. Come on,give him your applause! He deserves a fan (for his fan!)!



Oh,you think so? Thank you! Ahem! Anyway...

There are a couple of duds,however. The 'balloon' jokes sprinkled throughout the case...weren't funny. It's even really creepy,like when Athena bribes the judge to bring Geiru back. To quote my friend Nurio on this (because I shan't say it!):


It didn't fit in with the rest of the case at all,and really was only there to make some perverted jokes.

The second dud was Nahyuta. I seriously despise him so much in this case. He uses Athena's power of hearing against her to let the crowd just say mean things to her. It honestly angered me,and his tactics throughout the case were really bad. Aside from a couple funny lines,I hate him in this case. In fact,I'd even go so far as to say that this is my least favourite case with him!



But even with those duds,Turnabout Storyteller has risen to the top! It's mostly mediocre in some parts,but it's heavily compensated with it's amazing writing and fun characters. So I give it a 7.85/10. See you next time!

Next time,a Yamazaki final case.

This case was so great, I wouldn't even know where to start. Even before the case starts, you already had an "Oh shit" feeling, because if I recall correctly, there was a prophecy of some sort that one of the characters will be turned to gold, so you're at the edge of your seat the whole time. And I really thought it was going to be Phoenix, and it ends up being Layton... And you just see him turned to gold and all you can think is "Fuck. It really happened."
And then they 'kill' Maya at the end of the case as well, and even though you know that she isn't really dead, that had my heart beating fast, because it was done so so so well. Seriously, I don't know who directed these anime cutscenes, but they do so much right.

Greyerl's backstory was also pretty tragic, though parts of it don't make sense once you discover the secret of magic.
Did they really just knock out a little girl for the duration of making a gold statue of a goat? They couldn't have prepared that beforehand. And wouldn't Greyerl find it strange it's suddenly so many hours later? And what about the parents? Weren't they worried?
But I suppose that's not really the fault of this case but rather the fault of the ending. Though the Godoor stuff also doesn't really make sense.

Speaking of which, I can't be the only one who was stuck on the parrot's testimony and thought Godoor was just a parroty way to say Goldor, right? While I enjoyed cross-examining a parrot again, that just felt a bit cheap. It doesn't require one to be clever... It just requires one to think the parrot really says everything verbatim (even though the sound effects were anything but verbatim).

Yeah, Greyerl's reveal was pretty obvious, though I thought it might be a subversion... That she isn't a girl and/or witch after all, because that'd be too obvious. But nope. She was a girl. And a witch.
Speaking of subversion, I love the fact that Greyerl attempted murder and I believe she was even convinced she did it. But it ended up being a suicide. And if I recall correctly, the suicide note was pretty tearful...

Emeer was great as usual, the rest of the characters were fine. Can't say much else about them. They were fine. Birdly was a bit annoying with his music.

Luke, though. Luke! Man, I don't think I ever felt genuinely bad for a fictional boy like I did there. I completely understand his lashing out at Maya because of how painful it is to him to lose the Professor. And then to later have him turn around was a beautiful moment
I don't know who is responsible for this scene, but if it was Takumi, he surely has my vote for writing more Layton stories. (Even though the original Layton series kinda ended already.) It's kinda ironic that one of the most impactful Layton scenes happens in a crossover. (Though the ending of Layton 3 was really good too.)

I actually remember very little about the actual cross-examinations here, so I don't know if the particular mystery was good or not, aside from what I've already mentioned

This is also a case I really loved. I still remember the moment I realized who was in the Steel Samurai suit (and all other implications of that) and it was magical, because I realized it at the exact same time as Phoenix. I would say it's also the very first actual twist and subversion in the game. The first two cases already show the killer and there also wasn't too much mystery on how they did it. That isn't to say that there was no mystery at all in those cases, but there were no real twists and subversion like this case has.

I also loved the investigations and didn't mind this case having 3 days either. This case also really sold the "you are moving on a map" idea the most, since you had an actual map that you could inspect and you see how each location is connected, and it just makes sense in how you move from location to location. It really made it feel like you are actually walking around looking for clues in a random and haphazard way.

The end of the first trial day was also clever. There was honestly not much to stop the trial from concluding, so Phoenix had to think quick and pull a trick to extend the trial. And how does he do that? By implicating Oldbag as a possible suspect. And it all makes sense. Aside from not fitting in the costume, she had all the means and the motive to do it.
And then to have her spill the beans, that there were other people at the studio that day... It really just felt like you happened upon a jackpot and that with one single quick trick, you managed to turn a hopeless case into one that suddenly has a lot of merit.

Speaking of Oldbag, I really liked her, and I also liked the other characters for what they're worth. I don't agree that this is the only time you felt sorry for her. I also felt sorry for her in 2-4. She really liked Corrida as well and was also really sad to see him gone.
Dee Vasquez I actually didn't like too much, though she played her role well. I don't really know what I don't like about her, but something just felt... off? I wish I could put it better into words or understood it better myself. But oh well, she was the culprit, so it's fine if I didn't really like her that much.

The fact that she killed out of self-defense was also really nice and is also the first case to not just have someone kill out of selfish needs. But it's not like Vasquez is innocent or anything, since she blackmailed the victim and pushed him to do this, so she really only has herself to thank for it and should still be responsible for it.

#12-Turnabout for Tomorrow



Ohoh,another final case has fallen,and it's also the final case remaining in DD! This one is rather unique in that it's rather short as a stand-alone,but coupled with case four it's actually really long! So let's talk about everything right and wrong with this case.

The opening of this case is fantastic. It starts up with this great intro and Phoenix talking sends shivers down my spine. Intense and nerve-wracking,this intro had me pumped up to play this case.

The presentation here was very neat,and we even got to examine most locations here! The new music introduced here was really intense and cool,and the character animations were great,especially in the final showdown.

The mystery here is also quite good. The whodunnit is rather mysterious until the last part,and it's such a 'WHHHHAAAAAAAAAT?!!' feeling. I just wish that they didn't hint at it beforehand. The mystery of Athena's backstory is resolved,but it's rather anticlimatic and clearly rehashed from 1-4 (parent dying and the child getting blamed for it) and 1-5 (the scene seems to say that the child did it but someone covers it up and takes the blame for it).

To be fair,6-5 does it too,but I feel that it does it with way more finesse to at least give it an authentic feeling. This case sadly lacks that,and it feels so-so in that department. The howdunnit and all was really clever and I liked that only the Phantom could've done it due to his lack of fear. But the motive I do feel was rather half-hearted and wasn't even really gone into that much. And yeah,it's a bummer that we never saw the Phantom's face that well.



The gameplay is alright. I remember really being into the investigation segment as lots of stuff was going on,but the trial I don't really care for until Blackquill takes the stand,which is at least one third in. The testimonies are also rather simple,but I feel that the great Mood Matrixes compensate for it. It's quite confusing to decipher what's happening and it's great.

The story is quite neat,but like I said,is just rehashing everything from previous cases. I also don't like the explanation behind the Black Psyche Locks. They fit Athena alright,but not really Kristoph. It was a dumb retcon and I dislike the fact that you could break them. But the characters I feel are what make the case stand out.

Despite not liking the obvious rehashing of plotlines for Athena's backstory,she and Blackquill were sooooo good and enjoyable in this case,and the emotional moments with them were still well written. Aura,Apollo and Phoenix were also really enjoyable,and I felt for all their troubles. Edgeworth and Pearl,despite being blatant fanservice,were still fun to be with and were in character. And I LOVE the villain here. Lack of motive aside,his final confrontation was really great and well written and the final finger point and the breakdown and the animations I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. The final confrontation gets too much flak for being overly cheesy,but I love it because of it's overly cheesiness.

The ending was also really good,and while the last anime cutscene was bleh,the credits were still very fun to watch through.



And that's 5-5! While it's a very good case,it's pulled down by the fact that a lot of stuff is blatantly rehashed without any finesse,and while I do love the Phantom,there were still a couple of plot holes that I found a bit weird. So I have to give it a 7.9/10.

And that's actually Dual Destinies done with! While it's my second least favourite game and my least favourite main game,I can't deny that I did get some enjoyment out of it in the end. But sadly,the first 3 cases don't really hold up too good,other than being a bit fun to replay.
5-1 and 5-2 were honestly pretty bad at points and 5-3 was just alright. It also doesn't help that I dislike the presentation and the OST,and the anime cutscenes suck hard. The gameplay was also so easy I could do it blindfolded (well,maybe not that easy). But still,it's a good game overall in the end.

Next time,the last remaining case of a game!

Whoa, I got quoted! I feel honored!

Ahem...

This case did terrible in making the player feel at home (which is a strange thing to say, but let me elaborate). You just had three pretty intense cases with strong conclusions, and you kind of expect the next case to be just as gripping, but you're already met with an anime cutscene that was... ??? What? It was so strange and wasn't intense at all.
And then you're immediately thrown into the courtroom (well, defendant's lobby) and you're still scratching your head wondering what happened, why there is no investigation, and why in the name of all that's holy Athena took this case.

No, seriously. Why did she take this case? She had zero investigation time and hasn't even met the defendant yet. And when she does meet the defendant, it's a drunk who's perpetually on the verge of puking. And to further increase this discord you feel, Athena talks about how she completely trusts Bucky and knows he's innocent.
Really? That wobbling blob of alcohol and puke seems trustworthy to you, Athena? Are you the kind of girl who accepts candy from the back of a stranger's van?

And then the actual case starts. All the rakugo stuff didn't bother me, and in fact, I think they did well in explaining what they needed to. I never heard of rakugo (or anything surrounding it) but I had no trouble following it at all. The testimonies were nice, though I don't recall being wowed by any clever testimonies either, so they were rather straightforward.
It was a bit... aggravating, I suppose, to realize at Simon's testimony that the victim was already dead and that you heard the TV. And that point doesn't get addressed/revealed until almost the end of the case. (Again SoJ allowing me to realize twists way in advance.) I just wished I could say it was the TV they heard and go to the end of the trial right from the start.

As for characters, Uendo was great, Geiru was stupid. The balloons were such a mismatch for this setting, and not in the good way, it just added on the feeling of discord I had from the start of the case. And then... yeah, there's all the perverted jokes. I don't recall the judge being quite this perverted. Even in 1-2, he isn't unaffected by April May, but he was straight-faced enough to tell her to stop the "wanton winking", if I recall correctly.
And I suppose I don't need to say anymore what I thought about the almost literal prostitution.

Before moving on the Uendo, let me talk about Nahyuta and say I liked him here best of all cases. I can see why his antics with the crowd would make you angry, but I honestly don't care too much for Athena. Is it underhanded? Yes. But honestly not more than what other prosecutors have pulled in the past. And this is the only case where I actually laughed about his jokes or just generally found him at least a little interesting. (Well, there was one other part in 6-2, I think, where I found him a bit interesting.) Other than that, Nahyuta is still terrible like he was in his other cases.

Speaking of Athena, I'll take this opportunity to talk about what I think about her in the game overall. In DD, I honestly thought she was rather Sue-ish. (And no, I have no interest in a semantic discussion. I don't care if we call her a Sue, a parrot, or a banana sundae. As long as it's clear what I am talking about.) The plot heavily revolved around her, and she had very little flaws, and the flaws she did have were presented as the most sympathetic way, and nobody except Simon ever thought she did anything wrong.
Then comes SoJ, and the plot doesn't revolve around her anymore, and she actually becomes the butt of jokes. And she does things that are not exactly charming (eating the evidence!) or smart (eating the evidence!), and she's actually presented as a bit of an aloof but passionate girl who honestly doesn't use her brain too much and has trouble understanding certain concepts (this whole case, really). She actually has flaws other people talk about (seriously or in jest) and isn't meant to just make you feel bad about the poor traumatized girl. This case even showed the flaw in the super-sensitive hearing better than DD did.
So, yes, SoJ Athena is a great great improvement over DD Athena to the point I actually like having her around in this game. In DD (and after DD) I just wanted her gone.

And then there's Uendo. I honestly thought he was a great character(s?) and was just fun to watch perform. All of his characters were archetypes but were charming in their own right. I wish I could say more about him, but there isn't much else to say other than that I liked him. I think he saved this case the most from the brink of boredom and confusion.
I see people say that Owen was a great red herring, but I don't know what it is with SoJ, but I never considered Owen a possibility to be the culprit, because I figured it must've been Geiru from the start. She just showed up so early and also was gone just as quickly. So, when Owen showed up, I just thought "I knew it".
Though, speaking of which, I found it a bit strange Owen was dismissed as a suspect immediately. It's not as if little kids don't know aggression. And this looks like a kid that very very easily feels cornered and thus could lash out just as easily. And don't forget that he's in a grown man's body, and a kid never knows his strength, so one misplaced punch would be all it takes.

One other thing I found strange is how Geiru tried to frame Owen, because that's exactly what lead the trial to her, since she's the only alive person who knows about Owen (aside from Uendo himself, but really now). And it also made Athena pursue the mystery of "Owen 4th" which only further lead to Geiru, because Owen was right there during the murder. Why didn't Geiru just leave no note at all and let the investigation die without leads?

But oh well... I actually did understand and sympathize with the motive, and I don't think the victim deserved what was coming for him. I actually thought it was rather tragic, and Geiru does actually mention it probably looks like a weak motive but that it really meant a lot to her. And I liked that Athena (or was it Blackquill) was sympathetic toward Geiru and ordered noodles for her. A small gesture, but I liked it.

The Udon twist was... uhm... there. It wasn't particularly bad, but it really felt artificial. It came out of nowhere and kind of felt like an arbitrary addition to the case at the end just so that Athena could have a Thought Route.
Person A: "Okay. That's the end of the case. Athena caught Geiru"
Person B: "Wait! We totally forgot to have a Thought Route for her!"
Person A: "Oh crap. Well, just, uhm... make it seem like Geiru was unable to commit murder but she actually totally did."
Person B: "What, like... she's allergic to the murder weapon or something?"
Person A: "Perfect! And turns out the murder weapon was actually arbitrarily different"

All in all, an enjoyable case, but really really difficult to get into thanks to all the discord you feel at the start of the case (ironically, none of the discord comes from Rakugo-related reasons). It lacked a bit in the mystery department due to the lack of characters.

#11-Adventure of the Runaway Room



Ouch,and right after DD's been eliminated,DGS is now out as well! And of course it's the infamous third case. Good grief,this case is a blast. Come on,let's talk about it!

The opening starts off relatively calmly,with Ryu and Susato arriving in London. Then they meet Chief Justice Hart Vortex and talk about Asougi's will,before the stakes ramp up and Ryu has to save a client he knows virtually nothing about. With both his career and his client's life on the line Ryu takes the case and gets thrown into quite the case.

The presentation here is stellar. Unlike 6-4,which was also in court,this case still manages to be interesting just in court by being in a completely new courtroom with different aesthetics and even a jury;and also because they BRING IN THE CRIME SCENE HALFWAY THROUGH. How cool is that? The music here is also fantastic,introducing some great new English themes and is just overall enjoyable.

The mystery here is another great element;mainly because it doesn't get resolved. There are so many holes in the case and so many conflicting testimonies that the jury is dismissed and a Not Guilty verdict is given out. It's quite exciting,because when you keep inspecting the crime scene,things start to differ and everything gets more confusing. By the end of this case,you aren't even sure if your client did it,which is a great callback to 2-4.

The gameplay is also great. The contradictions are all great,and the Closing Arguments are barely used (once,in fact),so it's still feeling fresh. Baroque is a strong and sturdy opponent as well,and he never even flinches throughout the case. The investigation part at the beginning was strange though,seeing as you could've just put it in court and it would've been alright. The first part was also rather mediocre with the witnesses,I felt.

The story here is so captivating. You know nothing about the victim,but just his mugshot has this strange alluring aura over it. Megundal is dismissed,but he's really the most suspicious induvidual here. His breakdown came out of nowhere and you really felt as if you were powerless to stop him. And then at the end the omnibus burns down and you're left not knowing what really happened. It's so great.



The characters are also fantastic. Ryu and Susato are fish out of water but they act like it very well. Baroque and Hart feel very mysterious yet powerful. The jury here is probably the least biased one,and they were quite fun. I especially liked juror number 3,with the knife. But then it's revealed he's just a barber,and you laugh. Fairplay and Redifast are alright witnesses, though I did like the aggressive attitude of the former. Megundal is a fantastic villain,mainly because he even gets away with it in the end! Gina is just sort of a scapegoat here,and looking back I really feel bad for her.

And that's this case! It's so good and fun....but the slow beginning sadly knocks it out of the top ten,if only barely. So I give it a 7.97/10.

And that's DGS done with! ...let me be honest here for a minute. The only reason this case is above JfA is because of its stellar,STELLAR presentation. It's reminiscent of PLvsAA but with its own unique style.The presentation was great,the music was beautiful,the gameplay was great fun,the characters even fun(ner)....but the actual cases fall apart. Case 1 starts strong but ends not as strong;Case 2 is somewhat good through and through;Case 3 is freaking amazing....but Case 4 is my least favourite Takumi case,and the last case is my least favourite Takumi final case. So yeah,it does fall a bit flat. But here's hoping that DGS2 will surpass this! To infinity and beyond!

And that's NOT ALL BECAUSE WE'VE STILL GOT TO ANNOUNCE THE TOP TEN! Here it is:

AA1:1-4,1-5
JfA:2-4
T&T:3-5
AJ:4-1,4-4
DD:none
SoJ:6-5
AAI:none
AAI2:I2-3,I2-5
PLvsAA:L-4's third third.
DGS:none.

Next up,an AJ case.

Haha,you're welcome

Hmm,can't say I noticed much difference between Athena here. Then again,I didn't see much regression in Phoenix in DD,so what do I know?

And really,the only reason I ranked this case so high up is because of the great writing and characters. That may be all it has going for it,but it uses these to the freaking max,and it's worth it.

Oh boy, this will be a controversial one. I think a lot of one's opinion of this case hinges on their opinion of Athena. Since I didn't really like Athena, a lot of the emotional scenes didn't really do much for me either.
I liked the idea of a little girl being so innocent, thinking she can fix her mother by tearing her apart. But of course it had to be Athena. And of course she didn't actually do it. Those two things really diminished the impact of that scene for me.
I don't remember it very well, but I actually think Athena didn't do it out of a technicality or something? She still very much had the intent to rip open her own mother, which I think should still count for something. But nope, it was just "YOU DIDN'T DO IT! YOU'RE SAFE NOW!" and doesn't touch upon how dangerous it is to let your kid grow up too naive. (It's what I liked about 2-3, because that did show exactly that.)

I also liked in concept how Apollo was doubting Athena, but he had all the reason to. I don't remember the exact line, but it did make an impression on me. Something like "I really do want to believe in her, but how can I? Show me some way in which I can trust she didn't do it." It was both... good and bad. Good because it shows Apollo is a good guy and really does want to believe her but just can't. Bad because... it's Athena and of course everyone has to believe she's innocent, even when they don't believe it, they believe they should believe it...
Apollo also maybe turned around too quickly. You showed the most meager possibility that maybe possibly there was a a minor chance she didn't do it, and Apollo's all like "Oh. Okay. All's good now."

The Phantom was a good twist, again in concept, but I felt they didn't do as much with it as they could. I did like the reveal that 'Fulbright' was actually the phantom and it was clever and I didn't see it coming. But there were also way obvious parts like... "Only someone without any fear at all could make such a jump". GEE! IF ONLY WE HAD EVIDENCE SUCH A PERSON EXISTS!
That felt like such an obvious setup, I wonder if that was actually Edgeworth setting it up or if the writers thought we wouldn't notice it. I mean, as if any prosecutor would otherwise bring up a non-existent fearless person who happens to actually do exist. Normally one would just say that nobody could make the jump instead of "only a hypothetical fearless person could".

I don't remember much about it, but I did like the other clashes with Edgeworth. Particularly the part with the heartbeat and tag(?) sensors from the robots and how many people would be in the room based on that. It felt like a huge logic puzzle that you had to unravel.

Going back to dumb things again. Why the heck did the Phantom try to implicate Athena. Much like Geiru, it's exactly what caused the fingers to be pointed at him. It's just a dumb thing to do for no particular reason other than to give the player character a lead to the true culprit.

Lastly, the ending scene with the Phantom was... alright. Again something I would've liked in concept but wasn't good in execution. I liked the idea of cornering the Phantom and pressuring him about his true identity, but it just came off as a cheesy anime scene, and not the good kind.

Overall, it was a decent case that had a lot of great ideas, and the mystery was good. But the execution ruined it for me.

Yeah, the writing and characters are good. Though I still don't think Geiru was much good. It was an enjoyable case, and I would rate it somewhere in the middle I think, because it's just tough to get into and the lack of investigation hurts the case, in my opinion.

As for Athena... Honestly, the biggest difference is that the plot doesn't revolve around her anymore. The other differences are a bit more subtle, like her being the butt of jokes more. I really think they dumbed her down a little so that she's funnier to interact with instead of being everyone's darling. Heck, this case showcased that a lot with Athena constantly messing up and Blackquill berating her.

Blackquill also was cruel to Athena in DD, yes, but when that happened we saw the breakdown that just screamed "She totally has a tragic backstory, guys!" and Phoenix shows up to take care of his darling Athena. And we later also learn that Athena is also totally Blackquill's darling and that he really just cares so much about her that he took the blame of murder on himself, and that the only reason he was cruel to Athena is because he actually cares so much about her.

Contrast to this case, Blackquill just is really harsh on Athena.

5-5 is one of the cases.

#10-Turnabout Trump



And an AJ case falls,and it's also the last tutorial case as well! With the election results out,I suppose that this is a tad too tragically topical for my tastes,but eh,let's move on! This one's going to merit a lot of confusion,because most people wouldn't really understand why a first case would be in the top ten. Well,let me explain to you why. This is going to be relatively short,but come on with me anyways!

The presentation looks very good for its time. I really dig the revamped courtroom,and the colour scheme is rather soothing. The cool 3D opening is also a major plus (especially since they don't show the killer for once). The new courtroom music we hear has this weird trance feeling to it,and I love it. When I first played AJ,I was in a cold air-conditioned room,and this really gives off that suspense feeling. It's great. Even the new character animations are really well done,and their designs are also very nice.



The mystery and story are pretty much one and the same here,and they're both masterful! It seems to start off fine,but when the defendant is revealed to be Phoenix Wright,well stuff starts to hit the fan. It starts up nice and strong,and you're in for a heck of a ride. The whodunnit here is wonderful subversion,since you're expecting it to be Orly due to the tradition of the other first cases,but when it turns out to be your own mentor,you get this crazy suspicion that everything isn't all that it seems.

The whole thing with the hidden secret corridors and the weird math with the cards is all so AA-like. In the end,it's revealed that Phoenix actually forged the card,and it's a wonderful grey area situation. I was so surprised,but due to the fickle nature of the law,he actually gets away with it too. You're not even sure what to do after that,and that line in 4-4 about Apollo not really understanding the law (due to others like Phoenix and Kristoph misusing it) fits perfectly with that. And everything in 4-4 actually makes a good deal of sense,like the motive and the victim's identity. There's even a great parallel between the card Olga slips into Phoenix's pocket and the forged page he got during the Magnifi trial.

The gameplay is perfect,and the contradictions are really tricky for a first case,but never to the point where they become obtuse. The examing of evidence also returns here,and it's really made use of properly. And the characters are great! Apollo is a great everyday protagonist,while Phoenix gives off this mysterious vibe that you can't wait to unlock later on.

Orly is a great red herring,and the judge is in character. Payne makes a surprise reappearance,and he's great fun here. Kristoph gives off this mysterious vibe that you can't wait to unlock later on,and Trucy gives off this mysterious vibe that you can't wait to unlock later on....whoops,a bit redundant of myself. I apologise.



Either way,that's Turnabout Trump! It's a really really good first case that rises above all the rest,and really made me hyped to play the rest of the game! So I give it an 8/10! See you next time!

Next time,a final case...sort of.

Out of first cases, I am not sure if I like this one better or 3-1. It's definitely a really good case, especially for a first case! It's also a fairly long case. Is it me or do the first cases get longer and longer as the series progresses?
The plot twist that it was Kristoph who did it was masterfully done. I doubt a lot of people saw that coming, and this twist was introduced at the exact right time in exactly the right way. Wish I could say more about it, but it was just really good.

Seeing Phoenix the way he is in this case is both heartbreaking and bemusing. What happened? Why does he look so drunk? Where is the rest of the cast?
As opposed to case 4-2 where the lack of the cast felt wrong for the, well, wrong reasons... Here it feels wrong for the right reasons, because you are supposed to feel this strange feeling.
And when you actually see Phoenix get into action during this case, he suddenly loses that drunken look and gets the power in his eyes again, and you realize that Phoenix is still Phoenix, no matter what. And that was a powerful moment, coupled with the realization that your own mentor committed the crime.

I'll be honest. I never saw it coming that this Shadi Smith would make a return in 4-4, so to speak. I thought he was purposely this sorta anonymous character because the identity of the victim doesn't matter, but more the whodunnit and the howdunnit. Boy, was I wrong!
Speaking of the howdunnit... The way you catch the murderer was also delicious, in the sense that it was a very well-done moral dilemma and pushes the "the end justifies the means" narrative way better than 5-3 could ever hope to achieve. Is it right to catch a murderer with forged evidence, especially since it's sort of an eye for an eye thing? Hm... I'm leaning toward no myself, but it sure made me doubt it for a long time!

Orly was a nice witness, though the transformation saddens me a bit. I liked her a lot more pre-transformation, though the post-transformation wasn't too bad. I also want to point out that this is a good transformation in the sense that it, well, made sense. It's natural that she 'transformed' because this was a secret identity (so to speak) and it was revealed. And it's not like the physically transformed. (Looking at you, Rhymes.)
That said, I both did and didn't suspect her of the murder. I didn't feel like it was her, but I definitely did presume it was her by following the logic of the tropes. It's always been the key witness in the first case, so naturally, it was her. Or that's what I thought, anyway. It's a really good subversion, and I am simultaneously glad that it wasn't her, because I actually did like her.
Maybe that's the reason why I felt like it wasn't her? The murderers in the first cases have always been a bit of unlikable twats.

In short, good case, especially for a first case. Plays the moral dilemmas and the subversions really well. Also definitely makes you wonder in the right way what happened to Phoenix.

Yes, this is two cases in one ranking. That's because honestly, they're pretty much the same case. The original game should've had Reclaimed as the 3rd case, and then put this together as just The Cosmic Turnabout for the fifth case. There was no reason to split these up, and thus I'm ranking them together. Now you'll understand why I'm so pissed my write-up yesterday was erased, because I lost ALL of this. It was not a fun time, let me tell you.

The Cosmic Turnabout starts by telling of the trial that was happening when the bomb from case 1 was set off. Apollo is the head of the defense, and he's defending Solomon Starbuck. The interesting thing here is that the victim was Apollo's best friend, Clay Terran. Even though Starbuck is the most likely culprit, Apollo believes in him and defends him anyway. The other thing of note is that he still has his eyepatch, but the courtroom bombing had not happened, so he wasn't injured yet. This isn't explained until later in 5-5. Starbuck is not really in the best of spirits, and he lies consistently on the stand to try and save himself from what he believes is already a lost cause. Apollo isn't having it, and he gets Starbuck back into is energetic self, along with pulling the truth from him. Blackquill proves that Starbuck is actually scared of space due to the HAT-1 miracle, and that his fear was the cause for the murder. Apollo proves that it wasn't Starbuck dragging Clay, but Clay draggins Starbuck, throwing Blackquill's theory almost entirely out of the window. It's here that the bomb is set off, and the game then cuts to the present.

With Apollo still recovering, Phoenix decides to take over Starbuck's defense. With the help of an unusually cooperative Fulbright, Phoenix is able to track down everyone related to the case. Yuri Cosmos, the head of the space center, is the first witness for the trial, and Aura Blackquill, Simon's sister, is also a key witness. The investigation is, in my opinion, easily the best one in all of Dual Destinies and one of the best investigation segments in the series. Everything here is enjoyable, and I never felt bored or anything. When everyone returns to the office, Apollo takes his leave of absence that was mentioned at the end of 5-1, saying that he needs to find the truth of Terran's murder on his own. At the trial, Cosmos takes the stand, and Phoenix basically proves that he's a fraud. Cosmos lies in almost every testimony to cover for himself (And for something else, but that's revealed later), and it doesn't take long for Phoenix to shed a whole new light onto the case. Blackquill is even more desperate than he was in Apollo's trial, his reasons for this being that he's gonna die the next day. Phoenix proves that there was a legitimate way for the killer to escape, and coupled with some decisive evidence from Fulbright, Starbuck is proven innocent. Fulbright, who was desperate to get to the trial, never checked WHO the prints on the lighter belonged too, only knowing that they didn't belong to Starbuck. When the analysis is finished, Athena's prints are on it, and along with video footage of her leaving through the true killer's presumed exit, she's arrested. Phoenix, who now has neither Apollo or Phoenix, is in deep trouble, and it's here that The Cosmic Turnabout ends.

Turnabout for Tomorrow picks up right where 5-4 left off, and Phoenix is off to investigate at the space center once again. No big evidence is found, and all Phoenix really does at the start is talk to Cosmos and Starbuck. Cosmos brings up the HAT-1 miracle, saying that he switched the pads to prevent the launch due to a threat being made. The investigation now becomes much more focused on the HAT-1 incident and UR-1, the murder that occurred right before it. It's also the case where Athena's mother was killed, and it's the case that Simon was arrested for. Phoenix goes to the detention center, and Fulbright tells him about Blackquill's execution the next day. Their conversation is interrupted by a call from the space center saying that a hostage situation had popped up. Twelve people, including Trucy, had been taken by the robots of the building, and the mastermind behind it, Aura Blackquill, was demanding Athena Cykes in exchange for the hostages. Phoenix offers to retry the UR-1 trial, and Aura agrees, pulling in Edgeworth to be the prosecutor. Pearl also shows up sometime around here to give Phoenix some moral support, and because it's Pearl the case is immediately better. They all go in, and Apollo shows up there as well to investigate Terran's death further. After learning about the case, Phoenix goes back to the detention center to talk to Athena some more. When it becomes apparent to Athena that she's the only other possible suspect in the UR-1 incident, five black psyche-locks appear. Considering that Kristoph had the same thing, this is most definitely not a good sign.

With all other courtrooms taken, the trial is set to take place in the rubble of Courtroom No. 4, giving off a really nice atmosphere. Aura demands that Athena is the defendant, rather than Simon. Edgeworth agrees, and provides a rather convincing case. Ponco the robot is brought up to testify, and everything she says is almost identical to what Edgeworth is saying. Things are looking really bad for Athena, but Simon forces his way onto the stand and confesses to the crime once again. Athena is having none of it, and despite Simon's testimony helping her case, she uses the mood matrix to prove that he didn't do the crime. He tries to pile lie onto lie to make his story believable, but eventually Phoenix breaks through, and Simon admits that he didn't kill Metis. Athena, ready to own up to what she did, confesses to the crime. Phoenix goes all out trademark Phoenix here and finds the tiniest contradiction in her confession and turns the entire god damn case around. Athena never stabbed her mother, but instead she stabbed the true killer. The true killer had disguised themselves so they wouldn't be recognized by the robots, killed Metis, and then returned her jacket once the crime was finished. Athena's psyche-locks break, and she's all but innocent now. Right before her verdict is handed down, Apollo objects, demanding that the trial continue. He accuses her of the murder of Clay, and he then presents his reasoning for his accusation. In reality, Apollo didn't truly believe on the inside that Athena did it; he just wanted all of the doubts in his mind to be cleared. Phoenix does just that, not only showing that there could be another killer (The phantom) but that he could pinpoint exactly who it was: Bobby Fulbright. The very "emotional" detective takes the stand, and Athena proves that he indeed doesn't have any feelings, just like the phantom. Fulbright pulls out his weird gadget stuff and tries to escape, but before he can get away with his excuse of being the Phantom's puppet, Edgeworth returns and shows that Fulbright is actually dead. The one on the stand is an impostor, the phantom himself. His only fear is the moon rock, which has his blood on it. Phoenix finds a sample of the moon rock, and proves that the man on the stand is indeed the Phantom, and the one responsible for both incidents. The phantom breaks down before being shot by a sniper.

Really, there's only one weakness to the case here. Phoenix is fine, but he doesn't really go through a lot of development here. Ditto for Edgeworth and Pearl, who are there mostly just so they're in the game. It doesn't detract from the case, although Edgeworth is once again much different between his investigations and the trial. Athena goes through some development, but it's mostly the "Lawyers smile when times are bad" type of thing. Apollo goes through the most development here, and it's a shame that it often times gets brushed aside. He learns that he doesn't have to face his problems alone, and that he can trust those close to him even when times are hard. Blackquill is finally freed from the burden of UR-1, and it's apparent that he's a much happier man during his prosecution at the end of the trial. Starbuck is a character that you just naturally root for, and seeing him conquer his fear and return to space at the end is a fantastic way to end the case. Cosmos is hilarious, and his cockiness combined with his space scooter make his cross-examination the highlight of 5-4. Aura is fine, but I really don't care a whole lot about her. It's a shame that Starbuck and Cosmos almost entirely disappeared during 5-5 to be replaced with Aura. The phantom is the weakness I was talking about earlier, due almost entirely to his lack of emotions. It's a gimmick that makes sense with the emphasis on feelings in this game, but it makes him a really bland and boring character.

And thus, Dual Destinies is wrapped up. Despite it being the third game to be off the list, it's actually pretty high up compared to the rest of the games. If it weren't for the cases being split up, Cosmos and Starbuck's disappearance in 5-5, and the weak character that is the Phantom, this case/these cases would be much higher up on the list.




Ladies and gentleman, I present to you: The worst case name in the Ace Attorney franchise! Please step up, Farewell, My Turnabout! Seriously, what even is this name? Were the developers planning to have every final case be titled with a synonym to "goodbye"? Why not "Turnabout Assassin" or "The Kidnapped Turnabout"? (I know that The Kidnapped Turnabout is the name for I-3, but that wasn't out at the time.) I just don't understand it. And also, can you believe that it's been 30 cases since the last Justice for All case? Yeah, not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I'm starting to rant, so let's just get right into the case.

We get to see a familiar face at the start in Will Powers, who brought Phoenix's group to see the Hero of Heroes Grand Prix. The Nickel Samurai (What's up with this case and horrible naming?) wins, leaving The Jammin' Ninja in the dust. Maya is obviously thrilled that he won, and all of them have tickets to see the press-conference afterwards. It's canceled due to police interference, and of all people to show up, WENDY OLDBAG. AGAIN. (Last time though, thank GOD.) Maya get's told that she has a call waiting at the front desk, and she leaves with a bellboy. Gumshoe lets slip that a murder had occurred, leaving Lotta (Who's also back) to run off with her new scoop. The victim was Juan Corrida, the actor of the Jammin' Ninja. Matt Engarde, the actor of the Nickel Samurai, is the one arrested. Phoenix returns to tell Powers the news, and Powers gives Phoenix a radio transceiver. A little while after he receives it, he gets a call from a man saying that he has kidnapped Maya for ransom, the price being a full acquittal for Engarde. Phoenix immediately agrees to his conditions, and goes to take Engarde's case. When Engarde hears de Killer's name, he accepts Phoenix as his lawyer. Phoenix asks if he killed Corrida, to which Engarde responds no. No psyche-locks appear, so he is deemed trustworthy by Pearl. And, because it's Phoenix Wright, Engarde is innocent. Phoenix investigates the scene, and he runs into his old rival Edgeworth, who was thought to be dead at the time. Edgeworth is silent on where he went, but he does give Phoenix some valuable information regarding the case. Phoenix talks to Engarde's manager, Adrian Andrews, once again, and the investigation ends.

The trial starts on a pretty sour note, as Edgeworth is at the bench rather than von Karma. De Killer had shot her in the shoulder, leaving her unable to prosecute. He did this to help Phoenix get an acquittal, but Edgeworth is most definitely not an easier prosecutor. He does his job quite well, making a very convincing case and leaving Phoenix desperate for anything. Oldbag is called to testify (NO), and of course she was trying as hard as possible to find out anything about her new idol Corrida. She presents a picture of Engarde leaving the scene, but in truth it's actually a picture of the Adrian Andrews, since the costume didn't fit the person in the photo. Andrews is called to the stand, and Phoenix proves that she had not only gone to the crime scene beforehand, but also was plotting with Corrida to expose Engarde on something. Phoenix accuses her of killing Corrida to recover the suicide note, but Andrews responds by saying she did everything she did just to frame Engarde. The judge finds her story believable, and the trial is extended, much to Phoenix's dismay. Before Phoenix leaves, Edgeworth asks about the card Andrews is continuously twirling in her hand. She says it was found at the crime scene, causing Edgeworth to go into a panic and demand the card.

Luckily for Phoenix, de Killer allows another day for him since Engarde isn't completely off the hook. Gumshoe, who's now off the force, decides to help Phoenix in any way possible. Phoenix meets Edgeworth at the hospital, and Edgeworth says that Shelly de Killer, an assassin, is the one responsible for the murder, and that Engarde was the client. Phoenix refuses to believe this, since it's his job to truly believe in his clients. Gumshoe helps Phoenix reinvestigate the crime scene, and together they find a camera hidden at the crime scene. Edgeworth checks out who bought the bear that the camera was located in, and all of the evidence points to one person: Engarde. Phoenix confronts Engarde, which leads to the most dramatic transformation in the history of the franchise.



Wow. Just...wow. This throws the entire case into chaos, because now Phoenix has to choose between saving Maya or sending someone else to prison in the place of a guilty man. Phoenix instead tries to find Maya, and he's lead to Engarde's house as the true location of where she is. De Killer is gone by then, but Phoenix finds a bear figurine at the house. He talks to Andrews one last time, who says that her mentor, Celeste Inpax, was engaged to Corrida. When Corrida discovered that she had dated Engarde, he immediately dumped her, causing her suicide. Both Corrida and Engarde were monsters that cared for nothing but power over the other man. Phoenix once again questions who he should save, and who should die.

Powers is now called to testify, and despite Phoenix's best efforts it's apparent that the bellboy was indeed Shelly de Killer, the assassin who killed Corrida. With no other way to extend the trial, Phoenix once again accuses Adrian Andrews of the murder of Corrida. She was the only one that could open the bear figurine, and Phoenix claims that she opened it to forge the note inside of the bear so Engarde would be incriminated. Gumshoe calls Edgeworth saying that he has evidence against de Killer, but in his happiness he forgets to drive and he gets into a car accident. Now really desperate for time, Edgeworth calls up De Killer to testify. Of course, De Killer tries to protect Engarde by saying Andrews is his client. He makes a few fatal slip-ups in his testimony, and Phoenix uses that to stall for even more time. But as Phoenix continues to do so, de Killer grows impatient and says he'll kill Maya on the spot if this continues. Now completely out of time, Phoenix must make a choice between Maya and justice. No matter what you choose, von Karma enters at the very last second with the evidence against de Killer. Nothing stands out, and everything is only usable to show that de Killer committed the crime, but not who the client is. Phoenix knows this is his last chance, and he realizes that the video tape is the same recording of de Killer committing the crime, the one that Engarde planned to use to blackmail de Killer. He shows this to de Killer, who immediately drops Engarde as his client and frees Maya. Now, Engarde has two choices: Plead not guilty, and be tracked down and killed by de Killer, or: Plead guilty. He pleads guilty, and everything results in a very happy ending.

Onto the characters, and this is a damn good cast. Phoenix goes through a lot of progression in this case, and having the character decide whether Engarde is guilty or innocent is fantastic. Even though it doesn't matter what you choose, being able to pick, not knowing that von Karma would save the day, was one of the best moments in the franchise. Andrews and Engarde are both incredibly written characters, and Engarde is easily one of the best, if not THE best, villain in the series. Lotta and Powers returning are both welcome additions to the case, and de Killer's mysteriousness is really on point. He's not necessarily a "villain" but he's still a pretty dark character. Maya, Pearl, and Mia are all fine too, but nothing too special. Edgeworth's return is handled fantastically, and he's another star in the case. He's obviously grown as a character, and having him prosecute instead of von Karma was a brilliant choice by the developers. The only, and I seriously mean this, reason this case is lower is because of one person: WENDY FUCKING OLDBAG. GET THE HELL OUT OF MY CASE, OLDBAG.

So, that closes the door on Justice for All. It's not a bad game, and the final case is absolutely fantastic. But the first three are so mediocre or just flat out awful that even the final case can't help it. Next up, one of the remaining non-final cases along with a case with another kidnapping incident.

AA: 1-4
T&T: 3-2, 3-5
AAI: I-4
PP: I2-5
SoJ: 6-5

Engarde is shown to have been the culprit. So Phoenix has no way out of this situation and can't stop it. Farewell my Turnabout indeed.


Also Turnabout Assassin/The Kidnapped Turnabout sounds way too blunt for the final case

#9-The First Story



Yeesh,and the final PLvsAA case has come down here! This one will definitely be controversial, since everyone I know freaking hates the ending of this game,but to me,it's actually really satisfying,plot holes or not. Please let me explain why before you toss me into the flames (which by the way,don't work).

This one continues right where the Last Inquisitor left off,with the Storyteller coming in to testify about some really crazy mind-blowing stuff. You're intrigued to find out what this is all about,and....er,let's talk about the presentation first,shall we?

The presentation here is...alright? The cutscene with the Great Fire was pretty jaw-dropping,I guess. I don't really remember much other than that. The credits were actually really nice (both of them),and it made me feel nostalgic,even. The music helps contribute to that,by weaving a medley of Layton and AA songs for the credits theme.

Oh,and you all may know about the Edgeworth cameo at the end,bit did you know that when you replay the game and get to that point.... you get an alternate ending?! Yes,it's true,and very hilariously unexpected. The little things too,like showing every character in the final cutscene and having those great lines when you fail as Layton (though it does bring up one thing-how do Phoenix and Layton have the same health bar? And while we're still on this matter,why does Espella still get put to death if you lose at this point in the game?).



The gameplay is rather mediocre,and the testimonies were simple. That final puzzle was epic though,with the pursuit theme playing too.

The mystery and story here are once again one and the same. And they're pretty crazy. The twists are definitely out there,but to be honest,I didn't even mind them that much. I know that they're pretty stupid even for Layton, but it didn't bother me. Even now,I only find it mildly hilarious,not much else. It's not good,but I don't find it a game-changer or anything. Especially since the game moves from the twist really quickly and still manages to keep me intrigued beyond that.

Other than that,I actually kinda felt for the characters,though I'll get to that later. The story was definitely interesting from Belduke and Eve's perspective though. But the whodunnit in terms of the mystery was glaringly obvious,and not even in a funny way. And the 2 minute subplot about the Storyteller's disease was also really weird.

The characters are good.....besides the main characters. Phoenix gets treated in a rather condescending manner throughout the case,and Layton gets treated as a God. Luke disappears throughout the whole thing until the end,and Maya barely says much! The thing with the Storyteller and Newton was indeed very sad though,and I can definitely sympathize with them. I liked the arc Eve and Espella went through as well. Barnham was kind of pushed off though,and it's a real shame too,considering he had real potential.

And that's the last part of the last case of PLvsAA! Honestly,the fact that I don't really mind the ending really propels this case up high,and the ending credits really left me satisfied overall. If it were conjoined with the other 2 thirds,it would be only slightly above DGS-5. But as it is now,this case gets an 8.25/10.



And that's also the Layton crossover done with! I actually really like this game and it's style,and liked the AA segments quite a bit. The presentation is fantastic and the gameplay is fresh;the music is absolutely phenomenal,and the characters were mostly good! So it manages to get into my top half of the cases,if only just barely. See you next time!

Next time,a case where Gregory plays a great role.

Poor Phoenix Wright. Just when it looks like he'll get a case that isn't murder for once, lo and behold, it's actually murder. Poor guy. Really, Phoenix is the only guy you feel bad for in this case, except maybe just a bit for Maya and Pearl because of the stolen urn. Everyone else pretty much deserved what they ended up with, although murder is definitely not a good solution. So let's get into this mess of theft and blackmail. Lots and lots of blackmail.

The entire first half of the case is focused on the theft aspect, but it's treated almost identical to a murder case. It's not different at all, and I'm honestly ok with that. It works really well. The main gist is that Mask DeMasque stole the Kurain urn from the building, and Maya and Pearl really want to find it. Ok, simple enough. The case itself is very straightforward (MdM knocks out Atmey, takes urn, leaves) and most of the investigation is spent getting used to the characters and locations for the much more intensive second day. The defendant, Ron DeLite, is continually claiming to be the thief, but his wife gets Phoenix to defend him. It's a pretty laid back investigation, and it's not hidden at all who the culprit is. At the very end, Phoenix returns to Atmey's apartment, and finds a bag, to which it's heavily implied that it contains the urn. Naturally, this means that it'd have to be Atmey. Of course, that's the route Phoenix takes during the trial, and he's right (sort of). Atmey breaks down fairly easily, but it's a fun trial nonetheless. Oddly enough, the final cross-examination of the trial is against Ron DeLite himself, who continues to insist he's the thief. Phoenix proves that he was actually at KB Security, and the trial ends in a Not Guilty verdict. Unfortunately, the CEO of KB Security was murdered, and Phoenix just proved that DeLite was in his very office. DeLite is arrested again, and Phoenix once again is stuck with a murder case.

Now stuck with a much more serious case, Phoenix investigates the murder at KB Security. The victim was Kane Bullard, the CEO and apparent blackmailer of DeLite. DeLite continues to maintain that he's Mask DeMasque, but he didn't steal the urn. When he heard that the urn had been stolen, he had turned himself in to give himself an alibi for the murder. Larry's back, and his adventures with his girlfriends continue to haunt him. As he was talking to his ex, the emergency buzzer was used by Kane Bullard right as the murder occurred. Adrian Andrews also returns, and she messed up real bad with the sacred urn by tripping and breaking it in some paint. There really isn't any clear-cut culprit this time, which is a huge plus for the case. Ron DeLite kicks off the trial by testifying about what he did at KB Security, and it doesn't take long for Phoenix to prove that a third party could've been there. At this point, only one person could be the true culprit: Luke Atmey, who was currently being tried for the urn theft. The trial is interrupted, and Atmey is brought to testify for the current case. It's a very clever move by Atmey, who was trying to get arrested for the theft so he would have a bulletproof alibi for the murder. It doesn't work, and Phoenix proves that Atmey did nothing but blackmail Ron about his identity as Mask DeMasque. Bullard found out and blackmailed Atmey, which was the motive for murder. Even after all of this, Phoenix lacks decisive evidence against Atmey. Right before the trial ends, Mia saves the day (This is getting old) and asks to cross-examine Atmey one last time. Atmey trips up and proves that he was in the office during the murder, causing him to break down and be arrested for what he actually committed. DeLite gets off scot-free due to double jeopardy, and everyone is happy.

Really, the characters here are pretty solid, but Atmey brings the entire case up to a new level. Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl are all great. Andrews returning is also a fun cameo, but she's nowhere as compelling as she was in 2-4. The DeLites are also fun too, and Desiree is a damn good red herring. Bullard was an ass, but having characterized victims is always better. Godot is a great prosecutor, and this is a good case for him to be introduced. Everyone already knows what his major case is, so I can't say too much about him. Atmey is the real star, and he's easily the best one-off non-final villain in the series. His over the top mannerisms, his design, his music, his sprites, everything is just perfect. He's also smart af too, and if it wasn't for his understandable slip-up at the very end, he would've gotten away with all of it.

Wow, down to the top 5? This is crazy. I'm only doing one here because I don't have time to write up another case, but y ou already got the hint from last time. The next case involves a kidnapping, and it's also one of the remaining Yamazaki final cases.

AA: 1-4
T&T: 3-5
AAI: I-4
PP: I2-5
SOJ: 6-5

#8-The Inherited Turnabout



It's been a while since an AAI2 case,so here it is-the third case! And yes,this is the last non-final case. Everything else from here will be chocked to the brim with final cases. Full steam ahead! But anyway,this case is quite a wonderful one,providing some more insight into some vague stuff in 1-4. Let's go into more detail about it,just like this case did!

The opening starts off with a lovely song and dance,until the last note hangs in midair,thus providing a suddenly solemn atmosphere. It's a very nice touch,and I like that. There's some sad music then as Ray starts talking,and the case then officially starts.

I really like the presentation for this case. It helps that the setting itself is all nice and sweet,but the dark bitter tragedy is a stark contrast. It really has a wonderful theme which this case plays around with. It's all conveyed perfectly through the music:like Gregory's theme or the IS-7 incident or the character themes. It's all so darn beautiful.

The gameplay is quite good here. The testimonies vary in difficulty,but never are too easy either. I did have a little trouble with the first testimony in the last section,but it's all evenly done. The investigations are quite fun,and the Logic Chess is also good. I hear people have trouble with the way the case was paced,but to me,this case was probably the best paced in the game! Besides 2 half hour segments in which you only present a couple of things,the segments in this case were really evenly paced,which was quite refreshing after the unevenly paced first two cases.



But the mystery and story is where it's at. This cheerful atmosphere is definitely contrasted by the darkness of the plot,and it shows. You just feel for the characters involved who were harmed by this case. Which is actually really a lot of people,considering this was the catalyst for the DL-6 incident,which was the catalyst for the whole series,pretty much. The bittersweet ending is great too,with Jeff and Kate pretty much switching places. This case also has a lot to do with the overall plot,but I'll talk about it in case 5's writeup. The beginning of End, Part 1 where Shields tells you the aftermath of the case was seriously a darn tragedy,and a heartbreaking one at that.

The actual mystery was very good,and it was quite unique in how the body was hidden within the sherbet sculptures. The whodunnit really was obvious in hindsight,but it's subverted with how the game makes you believe that Kate did it with them even making you say that she's the only plausible culprit. The motive was simple but also sad. The mystery of Dover and Gustavia's sons are left unsolved for later. If I have to point out a few things I didn't like....well,I wish we got to examine Gustavia's room...Larry's drawing is really redundant fanservice and I'm tired of it....oh! And why did Master wait so long before giving out the Angel's Recipe? Other than that,the mystery's as clear as Kate's apron.

The characters are great! Edgeworth really undergoes some crucial development here,wondering if he should become an attorney himself. Ray is at his best here,since this case is something he seriously cares about. His young self's really weird though. Gregory is a great protagonist,and his comments about his son were great. The way that he was written really matched what you had heard about him in 1-4. Badd makes an epic return and is a great assistant. He even undergoes some amazing development with him siding with Gregory again. I like the way they paralleled him giving the sweets to Jeff in the past to Gumshoe doing the same in the present.



Manfred's great,but...I dunno,I felt that he was really sweating a lot here. Not like him at all as we see in 1-4 or I-4. Larry...ugh. He just makes this cameo for a short period of time,does his stupid 'I drew something important' shtick,and disappears. Basically his 6-6 appearance. As for the others....they were there,I guess. They don't really do much else but their usual roles and then leave.

Jeff was like Powers in how he did nothing wrong but was sentenced for way longer than him. His relation to Kate is just heartwarming. As for Kate herself,I really liked how she took everything into her own hands at the risk of getting caught. Gustavia is a good and smart villain,but his surprise animation was seriously repeated a million times throughout the last part. I feel that maybe they could've used his other animations a little bit more. Dover is a jerk and technically the real catalyst of this case. And Delicia...she was just the cute filler character who says some cute lines. I liked her spritework,though!



And that's this case! It gives a glimpse into the past,and does it beautifully and emotionally. It is seriously a work of art in some respects,and I'm surprised people don't discuss this case more. I give this an 8.3/10. See you next time!

Next time,a case involving Apollo getting some character development.

#7-Turnabout Succession



Wow,and the last AJ case has fallen. It was not even two weeks ago when the first AJ case fell,and now the whole game's been eliminated. That's sad,but the show must go on! Let's talk about this rather unique case.

The opening is crazy weird,and shows us a lot of stuff we don't understand yet like the heart monitor,Vera falling,and even Kristoph for some odd reason. Then we switch back to the Anything Agency,where life seems to be going as usual,when suddenly Phoenix shows up with his super top secret mission and explains it to Apollo. Then stuff just escalates from there.

The presentation here is once again super cool. The new stuff like the MASON system and the x-ray scanner are super cool,and the scenery is also done very well. The new character animations are splendid,and some flashback shots genuinely are spine-chilling. The music here also helps,with great reminiscence tracks and the cool Drew Studio theme. The thing with the photos dropping in the credits is a very nice detail,and I'm sad it hasn't been reused since. The way they even use the old court music and backgrounds in the flashback trial is neat.

The gameplay is also very good. The first investigation is interesting,even if it does drag on a bit long;the first trial is pretty neat and has some cool twists;the flashback trial is rather simple (but with a hard last testimony and a terrible trap made worse by the fact that you know that it is);the MASON system is the best segment in the game with amazing presentation and tying up so many loose ends;and the final trial is actually kinda underwhelming. The testimonies are all good and the percieve feature is actually really tricky here. The Psyche Locks also return during the MASON system,and they're still as hard as ever,even introducing the mysterious black ones.

The mystery/story is where it's at,though. It's absolutely amazing how a painter's murder could be so important in the grand scheme of things. The opening says something like 'Everything is connected. Nothing happens by coincidence.',and that sums this case up. Everything ties up together in such a perfect manner (Apollo, the Gramaryes, Lamiroir, Kristoph, the Mishams, Brushel,and even Phoenix are all somehow connected),and it's absolutely genius. It's like 4-2, but on a much bigger and grander scale. I genuinely got chills during the MASON investigation. It's so good and enjoyable.



Some things were seriously grey areas here,like 'Was Magnifi really right?', and 'What is Kristoph's motive', 'What's the MASON system?', and 'Who shot Thalassa?', and so on. I like how they never clarify any of these,and it's left to the viewers. Either way,it's tragic as heck. The whodunnit was actually really obvious,but the way you catch him is glorious. I know people have asked why Kristoph got arrested if it was a test trial....but did you even listen at the beginning? Phoenix clearly says that the verdict will be for real,and all the paperwork has been filled.

There are a few duds,like a few Gramaryes and some subplots that never went anywhere like Misham's paintings and the dreaded cliffhanger at the end. But still,it's very enjoyable. The method of death of Drew was cool as heck,with the time bomb stamp and such. And twists like Magnifi's 'killer',the real forger,and the siblings twist were highlights of this case.

The characters are also part of this. The Gramaryes' were the Feys of this game,but even better! I love how darn tragic the whole thing was. The whole thing with Thalassa was seriously heart rending. You could feel for poor Trucy as well. Valant is an amazing grey area character as well,and the way he realises what he's done and turns himself in....wow. Zak and Magnifi...have good designs? They weren't exactly very good people,and even the game knows it. Kristoph is a great villain here,and the great part is that Drew's death was technically an accident.



Phoenix was great here as we finally saw what happened to him,and Apollo underwent some development at the end with him saying he didn't know what the law was. Klavier...was actually just there. He didn't really do much,honestly. Neither did Ema. Spark is a hilarious character who was really fun,and his part in the last segment was pretty neat. The cameos I'm not too fond of. Gumshoe acts all high and mighty and Meekins is unneeded here. The Mishams are really cool but nice people. I like how Vera undergoes an arc about trusting people too.

And that's this case! Honestly,it's rather unemotional when compared to the other cases,but it makes up for it with its astounding MASON segment,which is the peak of the game. The final trial may be an anticlimax in terms of pacing,but everything before and after is really really good. I give this case an 8.4/10!



And that's AJ done with! It may not be the best AA game,but I really enjoyed it and its atmosphere. All the cases are in my top 20,and range from great (2 & 3) to amazing (1 & 4). Its presentation is cool as heck,and the music has this beautiful trance to it. The stuff they did with the themes is good,and the characters are all very well written! Sadly though,it does have a few general flaws,and some sections aren't as fun to play as the others,thus preventing it from getting higher. Still though,it deserves a spot on the top three at least. It is still a very good AA game and a good sequel to the original trilogy. See you soon!

Next time,a post trilogy case.

God damn, the case art for this is amazing. By far the best in the series. It just looks so fucking epic. Epic is a good way to describe Turnabout Revolution, since there's so much shit going on. Four murders, two culprits, two defendants, a kidnapping, an attempted double murder, pointless cameos, two seances, two trials, two countries, etc, etc. There's a LOT to take in here, and I think it's the longest case in the series (I might be wrong though, since I haven't played DGS. The final investigation cases might be longer too.) Of course, since it's the longest case, there's no summary up yet on the Ace Attorney Wiki. I'm doing this all by memory so don't crucify me if I get some shit wrong, k?

The case gets off to a blindingly fast start. One moment, Apollo and Trucy are sitting in the office. One minute later, Dhurke (The ultra suspicious rebel leader) is in the office like "HI SON HOW YA DOIN". For what Dhurke was built up to be, it's just so sudden. He drags Apollo to Kurain village to go find the Founder's Orb from 6-1, but obviously the guy who had it is dead. Is it too much for Apollo/Phoenix to have a case where "We need to get a thing! *Goes to person* Can we have the thing? Cool, thanks for the thing! *Case ends*" I guess that wouldn't be as fun, though. So the guy was killed in an "accident" even though everyone knows that it was murder. The culprit isn't hard to figure out either, and the moment you meet Paul Atishon (See, this is a good name pun. Take note 6-3) you know that the slimeball did it. Apollo and Dhurke talk to Pearl, go to the Mount Mitama to find the Founder's Orb, and then they get shoved into the cave. The next part is literally there for story's sake, as all you do is solve a little minigame and investigate a room. To summarize what happens, Apollo gets scared, Dhurke comforts him because he's a dad. They find the orb, get the orb, everything starts flooding, Apollo can't swim and his life flashes before his eyes, Dhurke saves him, yada yada yada. No one gets hurt, and they now got the Orb. But wait! Douchebag politician is back, and he wants the thing! But Dhurke also wants the thing! Atishon says he'll take this shit to trial, and who else is his lawyer but Phoenix Wright himself. No reason why, which builds up the mystery, he just is kinda like "Lol fuck u Apollo this is my turf" leaving Apollo wondering what the fuck is happening with his life (It gets stranger). And...yeah! That's the first day. Any idea what's going on yet? Me neither!

For once, for just once, it looks like Apollo's gonna have a civil trial. None of the murder/death shit, but a goddamn normal-ass trial. Except not. Basically, Atishon is saying the treasure is of Kurainese descent, meaning he gets it as the governor/senator/whatever the hell he is. Dhurke says it's Khura'inese, meaning he gets it instead. The victim's daughter, Armie Buff, gets called up to the stand. Buff at first is conveyed to be a boy, and for a long time I thought he was gonna be a fat middle-aged man who still needs a job. In reality, it's a 12 year old girl. She saw her father burning the orb, which reminded her of the fire that took her mother years ago. This obviously caused her traumatic stress and shit, so Athena runs her mood-matrix on her. Once they find out about the burning thing, they burn the Orb to find the Holy Mother of Khura'in inside of it, meaning it's Khura'inese. Phoenix still fights Apollo, saying that Are'bal was the one to kill the victim, meaning the transfer was void and the Orb no longer belonged to the Dragons. Apollo instead proves that Atishon was the real culprit. Phoenix still couldn't accept this, as the truth was that Atishon and Inga kidnapped Maya and held her for ransom (Again.) Unfortunately, it's handled nowhere near as well as in 2-4. It's not bad, but it feels..forced, I guess. Phoenix's behavior is also out of character, especially compared to 2-4. In 2-4, he felt serious guilt in pinning everything on Andrews. Now, he has no problem throwing Are'bal under the bus. It just doesn't feel right. But it doesn't matter, and Apollo proves that Maya needed to be kept alive for the Orb to be useful. Phoenix basically says 'lol fuck u Atishon" and Atishon has a really dramatic breakdown. To save Maya, everyone needs to get to Khura'in, but they obviously have no way of getting there. But wait! Edgeworth literally walks in out of nowhere with a private jet. Plot devices for the win!

Damn, and we're not even halfway through! The gang gets to Khura'in, and Dhurke offers to go find Inga and negotiate with him. Queen Ga'ran pops up, and surrounds the building that Dhurke and Inga are in because...well, I don't really remember. She orders them to charge the building, and they find Inga dead with Dhurke standing right next to him all bloody and shit. Maya is also tied up in the corner. Dhurke is obviously arrested, and Apollo takes his case. This is where my memory gets really fuzzy, since there's two separate investigations going on: One with Apollo and Athena, and the other with Phoenix and Edgeworth (YES). I honestly have no memory of what Apollo and Athena did besides investigate the murder scene. They find some other bloodstains and a thingy thing in the side row, along with the usual murder-scene stuff. Phoenix and Edgeworth investigate Inga's room, and they find some other evidence that I don't remember, although I do remember that some of it had to do with his disability, and there being a secret safe with some personal items that had to do with Rayfa in it. The Defiant Dragons, led by Beh'leeb and Datz, go to the main temple and start a riot, and Nahyuta talks to Apollo (Or was it Phoenix?) before the day ends.

Final day! The trial is split into 3 parts, and there's a lot of shit going on. And I seriously mean, a LOT. Nahyuta is ready to prosecute, but then Ga'ran shows up and pretty much says to Nahyuta 'Get out of here nerd" before transforming into her obviously evil prosecutor clothing. Rayfa, who's going through a hella lot, passes out from stress and exhaustion while trying to perform a Seance on Inga. Ga'ran is a bitch and tells her own daughter (Kinda) that she's worthless, but Apollo and Phoenix encourage her and she goes through with her seance. It's proven that Inga was actually killed at 2:00, not 3:00, meaning that Rayfa's testimony makes no sense. Apollo brings up Maya, accusing her for having channeled Inga after his death. In truth, it was actually the former queen Amara, who was thought to be dead, that did the channeling. The only way this is possible though is if Dhurke had also died, meaning that Amara had channeled him after the murder. This is exactly the case, and Dhurke's body was found in the tomb. Maya confessed to Dhurke being killed by Inga, as she was told by Dhurke not to tell Apollo. Maya then channeled Dhurke, and she was channeling him all the way up to the time of the murder. Amara channeled Inga, ran to the crime scene, unchanneled Inga, and then channeled Dhurke, who was just unchanneled by Maya. Based on this, everyone assumes that Amara must be the culprit. Apollo isn't gonna let that slide, and he proves that Amara had a rock-solid alibi for the murder. Amara's alibi shattered Ga'ran's alibi, and Apollo accuses her of the crime. But wait! Amara is shot ON THE STAND, and Nahyuta, who's just been chillin' around, decides to "confess" to the crime. Apollo's like "Honey no" and puts his argument down. Rayfa performs a Seance on Apollo's dead father, and using it Apollo proves that Ga'ran was the one behind the assassination attempt. Nahyuta's pissed that his aunt tried to kill his mother, so he pulls back his confession and finally joins the Dragons. Now really pissed, Ga'ran orders her guards to lock onto Apollo, Phoenix, and Nahyuta right in court. Now literally facing death, Apollo goes through the revisualization and realizes that Ga'ran has no spiritual power, and thus no right to the throne. He calls her bluff, and she fails in the channeling of the Holy Mother, and she's finally arrested. We're not even done! Now in a complete mess, Nahyuta asks Apollo to stay in Khura'in. Athena obviously wants Apollo to come back to the US, leaving him with a huge decision to make. Apollo stays in Khura'in for now to help them rebuild their law system, and Phoenix and those guys return home. It sounds like a sad ending, but it really is actually pretty happy. It's a fitting way to end the case, and the game.

So that took a while. But now, on to the other part of the write-up: the characters. I'm happy to say that there's a LOT of good ones here. No one is bad, although Phoenix and Nahyuta have their below-average moments. Apollo is fantastic, and he goes through a ton of character progression. Seeing him after this case compared to him at the start of 4-1 is incredible. Athena, Trucy, Pearl, Phoenix, Edgeworth, etc are all fine and dandy, and they don't really develop a whole lot. It's awesome to have them in the case, but it's not like they're game-changers or anything. Armie Buff is great, and it's nice to see another well-written child character. Atishon is bloody amazing, and whenever he did his walkoff animation, I died laughing every time. He's in the running for best villain of the game, in a game with really good villains. Dhurke is such a dad, and he's absolutely amazing as well. He's really enjoyable to be around and I wish we could've seen more of him. Archie Buff is a good victim, but he's nothing special. Inga is a pretty cool character, with his power-loving, greedy side and his caring, soft side. Rayfa and Nahyuta go through a lot here too, although Nahyuta was in stubborn-prosecutor mode for a bit too long in my opinion. You really feel bad for Rayfa, and seeing her smile at the end of the case is one of the highlights. Ga'ran is a douchebag, but she's a great villain. She's a better version of Alba, but she's middle of the pack as far at the villains in this game are concerned. Amara is pretty mysterious, but you only see her for a bit. And, I think that's it! Wow, that's a lot of characters.

And thus, Spirit of Justice comes to a close. Considering it has 3 cases in the top 10, expect it to be pretty high on my overall rankings. Next up, one of the remaining Investigations cases.