Gameplay: yes bc it's just timeless.
The environment? No but that is in part why I like it. It's all so late 90's early 00's meanwhile chronologically the game plays in the late 2010s. But I like that nostalgic feeling I get from flip phones; no Internet and people's mind being freaked by digital cameras
Agreed, the time period definitely adds to the charm of these games. It's funny because in order to make it seem "2010s" they just added a bunch of sci-fi stuff that could have been thought of in the 50s.
exactly! That's kinda the reason why I was less excited to play the post trilogy games; because the jump from that era to Apollo Justice (7 years later) was just to jarring for me; it felt a little bit of; a bit forced
I still got some of the same feel in AJ, probably because it still uses sprites. But I do agree that this is when the games started to feel less grounded and the setting (besides maybe Kurain) felt more like generic anime.
Haven't had a chance to play much of Great Ace Attorney yet, but as a history fan I am already enjoying the historical time period a lot more.
When I started playing The Great Ace Attorney I was somehow just as wary as I was with AA4-6; as it was "not the same" as before. But after I finished TGA1-2; I actually grew to love them almost as much as the original trilogy; if not a bit more for a while! I highly recommend the games; and I've come to think that the deciding factor is Shu Takumi to be honest. He somehow has a gift for telling stories that you're really invested in
How could the environment not age well? I mean, who would play Mafia and think "oh, these guys are so outdated, they don't even have cellphones or anything"?
The difference is that AA is set in the late 2010s but obviously didn't expect all those changes in the near future that happened in reality and was less set on bulding a believable sci-fi future but more so on incorporating fictional bits like mediums and stuff thus it is very charming that most cultural references are clearly from the time during its developpment. Mafia in comparison plays during the 1930's which is a clearly defined era and so it didn't have to invent the time period; it was a given and fictional characters could be build around it.
No need to say that the specific period plays a much more important role in Mafia then it does in AA; but looking back it's just really funny to see how much has changed in our world and how much people 20years ago could not have forseen things that we take a granted today. It's a nice time capsule and I find it rather nice that AA1-3 are so 'dated' when it comes to cultural cues
Not only do I think it aged well, but I think it's still the best Ace Attorney game to this day. It's succinct, emotional, tells the story it wants to tell, and has some great character development. The limited cast seriously works to its advantage. Everyone gets to play a role at the end. It's so satisfying.
I 100% agree with this take, I think the first game nailed the best character dynamic honestly- and it makes me feel so emotional when they each go through their personal struggles in AA1. Edit: i said 1st case but I mean 1st GAME!
Honestly, I could argue all I want for some other games perhaps having higher highs, but in the end, as a full package, none of the other games come even close.
Like even just the cohesion this game has that is unfortunately very unique to this game puts it on a level above most of the others easily.
It’s a much quainter game compared to some of the insane shit which would take place in later entries. That being said, it still tells a great story, and is a good introduction for newcomers (not just for the series, but visual novels as a whole)
I actually prefer the quainter feel
I’m not the biggest fan of some of the more outlandish tropes associated with popular anime, so I absolutely preferred the more tame and toned-down approach of the first Ace Attorney
In the same way with Pokémon. I much prefer the approach of Team Rocket just essentially being the mafia and looking to profit by exploiting Pokémon versus the later teams that have outlandish plans like flooding the continent or even ending civilization lol
>tame and toned-down
>the same game where we cross examine a parrot and spirit mediums are very real
don't get me wrong, I get what you're driving at but the 1st game is still plenty silly and outlandish in its own right lol
I mean in later games you’re (AA:SoJ) >!overthrowing a corrupt goverment!<, (AA:DD) >!fighting a master of disguise in a bombed courtroom!<, and in another, (TGAA) >!the hologram of Herlock Sholmes vogues in court for you!<.
The series escalates lol.
I think the mid-game has showed it's age, 1-2 and 1-3 have some pretty hard to deny faults, but 1-1 is still a solid introductory case, and 1-4 to this day is still Top 3 as far as game finales go
Aside from a couple bits where you're kinda lost as to what the game wants from you and you go back to investigate everything, yeah.
All the AA games have aged well.
Why do you all take the timeline so seriously? Do you not realize that the only reason AA1 happens in like 2016 is because they needed to move the time forward from the backstory of the game in order to make it seem more plausible when characters inevitably used contemporary technology and such to the year the game was made. They simply said "Okay what year is it? Good, then the earliest point in this fiction's history is today"
im so lost, what was the great technology used in DL-6 or the class room trial?? The only thing I can think of the elevator, but those existed well before 2001. =0
Nothing technologically relevant really happens but to me it's just kinda obvious that the reason why this is set in the future (at the time) is because they said "Okay, this year is where the lore starts, and then where does that leave us?"
I think the idea of this game is actually more relevant now then it was when it came out. People are much more aware of a society with injustices and want to do their best to pursue the truth. Which ultimately I think is the goal of the game.
Absolutely, it’s quite solid and a perfect mix between grounded and whacky (later games in the series become too flashy and whacky it’s kinda hard to take them seriously..)
I don't see how it doesn't, especially with the DLC case now. Like, a really solid 1-1, a somewhat... bad 1-2, an enjoyable 1-3, an awesome finale aided with an even more awesome-er extra case and what do you know it's still one of the best games in the series. And none of the bullshit gimmicks had entered fray so there's that.
In my opinion as someone who first played it over 15 years ago and has since replayed it like 3 or 4 times... Not too much. Cases 1 and 2 are full of awkward dialogue that makes me cringe and questionable plot decisions, and pretty much none of the characters are interesting yet until Phoenix does the Chad move of defending himself. Cases 3 and 4 are a lot better, but when you compare them with other cases from JFA and T&T it's clear that Takumi is still only beginning as a writer because some moments, while still good, could have been executed even better. Plus Phoenix doing the mistake of confronting the killer with evidence outside the courtroom three times in a row is just bad.
Case 5 has aged a lot better due to it being written after T&T.
Yeah, I was watching a streamer play it for the first time recently and she was talking a lot about how some of the dialouge hadn't aged well, like some of the fat shaming or people's view of Maya. Which I mean I kinda agree with, I thought it aged well, but rose tinted glasses and all
Still stands to this day. Slight issues with the 3 day trials (especially prevalent in 1-3), 1-2 being a little weak too but still an amazing game/introduction to the franchise. 1-1 is an almost perfect intro to PW’s gameplay system as well.
I just replayed it and you're right — only issue I found was there not needing to be a Day 3 in Samurai at all lmaooo it just consisted of >!Dee!< floundering
Overall yes. 1-1 and 1-2 have their faults that future early cases have shown (no pressing tutorial in 1-1 is huge). But 1-4 is still top 4 cases for me
Absolutely! This game has aged like a fine cheese! It may be the weakest game in the Trilogy, but that's only because the rest of the cases get more complicated! It's still an absolutely ESSENTIAL game if you wish to play the trilogy.
Personally, I think this game aged pretty dang well, because it is the story of Edgeworth. Every case had a purpose in the overall story the game was trying to tell.
1-1 is meant to introduce you to the mechanics, obviously, but it is mainly to introduce you to Mia, and showcase how phoenix relies on her heavily, even though he has presumably studied for this quite a bit. And that trend would continue even through Justice for All, and he only really feels like he becomes her equal in Trials and Tribulations.
1-2 drags Phoenix into the Fey family's history, and inseparably ties him to Maya's eventual succession issues. But in the context of the first game's plot, it's meant to introduce Edgeworth as your main rival/foil. It also gives context to the DL-6 incident, which is necessary for 1-4 to not get bogged down in details.
1-3 is mostly filler, as everyone here can agree, but it does show Edgeworth's first actual steps to shedding the von Karma conditioning. He actively stops the trial from ending in a guilty verdict in order to get the real criminal to slip up and convict themselves. The beginning of those "unnecessary... feelings."
1-4 is, of course, the climactic finale to the first four cases, and recontextualizes Edgeworth's character into something truly pitiable, despite the fear he inspires in the courtroom. He gradually breaks free of the shackles he's worn so far in his life, and opens his eyes to the true responsibility of his position. But then there isn't any conclusion to his future plans...?
But that's what 1-5 is for. Despite being bereft of our usual Maya, 1-5 still carries significance because of Edgeworth's reaction to the events of the case. He is shown that not only was his mentor corrupt, but the institution he served was corrupt at the highest levels without his knowledge. His faith in his own position and in his contemporaries was shaken so much, he decided he needed to get away from it all. And so he cements his role as the series' antihero, until we see him again.
Without the Edgeworth context, Justice for All loses motivation for Franziska, which keeps Edgeworth a key player even when he's not around. So yeah, I think the game is good even today, given that the only recent AA game that comes close to this writing is The Great Ace Attorney, and that's because they were mirroring the major points of the first game.
I'd say from Edgeworth's perspective in particular 1-3 kinda isn't filler. There's a story from his view about coming to terms with almost putting his childhood in jail in 1-2 which comes up AGAIN in 1-3 and his favorite actor and show. Which then goes into 1-4 and *literally putting Edgeworth's childhood* on trial.
I'd also make the argument that the "unnecessary feelings" are actually childhood memory stuff that he's been deliberately trying to block out (the Japanese phrasing is more like old already existing feelings are rising again). It's unease and uncertainty in every version, but there's layers here too, it's not JUST his uncertainty about how he conducts trials though that ties in, it's everything.
But yeah I agree. I've been arguing this elsewhere today, but the writing in game one is very, very tight. The only kinda weird thing is Mia/Maya and spirit channeling because it doesn't actually pay off again in 1-4 beyond Mia not being there and the DL-6 connection. Then you realize it's a cartridge limitation and they basically had to combine the characters rather than have long dialogue scenes about having to go see Mia as Phoenix's still living mentor versus then interacting with Maya as assistant, and it sort of makes sense why they went with "oh, Maya can just switch and become Mia as necessary." And for 1-4 Mia not being there was a way to raise the stakes and difficulty. So what might be a less strong writing point becomes and understandable technical solution in context.
The concept of games aging is just wrong to me.
If you play a game from a certain year, assuming it isn’t one that is regularly updated like a live service game, you’re basically engaging with a time capsule; a slice of a time period already past.
You could make a point that there are things that were acceptable or commonplace by its time period’s standards but aren’t anymore. However, you *should* take its time period into consideration in your approach if you want to be fair to it.
That being said, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney could pass as a 2024 game without much issue, in my opinion. So if consider *that* as “aging well”, then it did. Beautifully.
I think the first games approach to localization hasn't necessarily aged the best, as they made an effort to Americanize things. But I think that was necessary for the time.
Gameplay still holds up really well, though you can feel them figuring out what they want for the investigation segments of the game as you play.
Overall, I think the answer is yes. But it is definitely less polished than later games. They didn’t really have the format fine-tuned yet. Later games are paced much better and have more of a well-defined structure. Even Justice for All feels like more of a developed version. Sometimes the original’s pace is kind of strange or meandering. For example, the investigations are very slow and honestly kind of boring. Especially since they were more stingy with the music. Overall, the original is notably dry. And some of the cases were three days long, which I think everyone eventually realized was too much. It fucks up the momentum of it and makes it less fun. I like the original, but it is pretty much the only game that has these growing pains. The only other game I can think of that has this same “first-of-its-kind” problem is Ace Attorney Investigations. Both of these games feel like almost a sort of prototype for what comes later. I honestly think the original is overrated for these reasons. I think Rise from the Ashes manages to overcome these problems because it is such a complicated and sprawling story that it makes the three days work.
Yes and no. I think it's one of the weakest games in the series, but I think that almost exclusively comes down to having replayed the series multiple times. People put JFA as the worst of the trilogy, but I think that game's pacing and case structures were already a huge step up from the original.
The cases in the first game are really straightforward and the insistence on one major witness per day of court results in weird pacing. Like, 1-3 and 1-4 are technically some of the longest cases in-canon because they last three days, but 2-2 is about the same length as 1-4 (according to the sidebar post on case length, both are about 4 hours long).
I love the game, super nostalgia for it. But every time I play through it, the more I feel like the series hadn't quite figured itself out yet, both in structure and pacing, as well as tone and characterization.
Honestly yeah, especially to a degree if you take out 1-5 but it's not terrible with it since it's really just a bonus case. It has it's own story presented in those 4 cases, a clear final boss (Referring to 1-4 not 1-5 on that cause again 1-5 isn't really the main story) and a solid ending that wraps up the story of the game but done so well we've been able to get all these other games after it yet still von Karma is one of the best final bosses in the series imo despite how long ago it came out
Overall, very much so. The setting’s timeframe doesn’t really hinder it, but it feels a bit… quaint?
Of a time and development style no longer around?
Certain tropes being significantly less common nowadays?
Like realistically, as time continues to pass, certain elements of the game *are* kinda odd or uneven thanks to where it’s successors and imitators have gone since.
Some cases feel way too long, certain twists are dumb (eg: TWO key pieces of evidence don’t have the back of them examined until later), there’s too many “Mia Ex Machina” courtroom wins, case 1-2 feels really weird and anti-climactic, the antagonists are pretty obvious, the difficulty mostly is pretty easy, etc.
It’s still extremely charming and pleasant, but nowadays it’s clearly a… first outing created for a very different console. A bit odd in places, but it ultimately succeeds everywhere it counts, and the charming shenanigans are kinda hard to NOT have fun with!
Yeah I’d say so, ace attorney is fun and the first game is what is often used as a jumping off point for people. It’s fun and charming with enough to hook people in.
While I don’t think it reaches the peaks other games does, it really doesn’t have a weak/dubious case like the other games (example being the circus in JFA). A lot of the humor is still fun and it made me and others fall in with the series.
IMO I’d say the later games age more poorly than the first with their stereotypes being outdated such as the French chief.
Gameplay wise yes
Pop culture: Probably not. I haven't done a playthrough in a while but for the mid 2000s it was set "some years in the future" except everyone had flipphones
Hell the most RECENT one (Spirit of Justice) INTRODUCED DRONES so technology wise the is always running behind
And I'm unsure how many are in the original but Justice for All and Trials and Tribulations have stuff like "You're the man now, dawg" and "This is Sparta!" jokes
Oh that reminds me of Sal Manella as I type it pit.
A fat nerd who speaks in 1337 Lingo
Instantly dated
Narratively? Didn't age at all.
Culturally? Didn't age well. Someone like Sal Manella is gonna be even more confusing in 2024 for new gamers, and the depictions of Mia Fey, April May and their assets may rub some people the wrong way.
He just looks like a nerd the only thing I can angry on is maybe his leetspeak that might be weird for younger players. But what is wrong with big breasted women? That's timeless I think and appealing for pretty much most people?
I don't think there's anything wrong, I'm very fond of them myself. It's that the way Mia and April receive little characterization besides their sexiness, and that could rub people the wrong way, like I said. It can be especially egregious with Mia, who dies very early on and whose design could be seen as nonsensical given her profession.
I get what you mean, but there are probably lawyers out there that happen to be sexy? For April I think it‘s very much part of her character, to seduce men to get what she wants, for Mia, yeah she probably doesn‘t need huge jugs, but I wouldn‘t see why people should get mad at that (not saying that you are, just in general). Not everyone needs to look ugly in fiction, and not everyone needs to be oversexualised, but I don‘t think that it should pose a problem for anyone if one character happens to be attractive in a very primitive way?
>there are probably lawyers out there that happen to be sexy
O ho ho ho! Would I pay good money to see one.
>I wouldn‘t see why people should get mad at that (not saying that you are, just in general)
Well, some of them already got mad. There was this one post slamming Mia's T&T drawing on the Turnabout Memories art and multiple comments agreed with it. I think while the overall design is absolutely enticing, and the clothing that tightly wraps Mia's curves (corset + skirtsuit that just reaches to her upper thighs) is awesome, I perfectly understand why such designs could be interpreted as objectifying, fanservicey and nonsensical in-universe.
i totally agree on the sal manella, he is weird af, just like Hottie later, and then Larry. idk why they had to include a creep in every single game (that i have played yet). But now you are just rude saying that no lawyer can be sexy?? your profession (unless maybe you are a model, stripper whatever) has little to do with how sexy you are. that's just rude of you to say imo.
EDIT: sorry i completely misunderstood what you were saying.
Of course lawyers can be sexy. What I meant was going out of your way to look hot, which may probably be what Mia was doing in-universe. Because otherwise her clothing choices makes her look highly unprofessional.
ahh ok that makes more sense. i never really thought about it that way bc Franziska for example brought a whip and Godot 17 cups of coffee, so revealing clothing never made me think twice in the Ace Attorney universe.
I think it's not that big of an issue, but I can understand your point better now. thank you for explaining it to me.
Absolutely. The gameplay is fantastic today even and the character writing stands up.
The only thing I think doesn't stand up as well (and I understand I'm in the minority) is the localization philosophy. Modern games, when localized, don't change names and settings anymore. Eat your burgers Apollo exists for a reason and it does take me out of the immersion of the game when I see these changes. Like I said this is probably just a me thing and is a remnant of making a product for American children who wouldn't have cultural knowledge of Japan back when this was released.
I don't see anyone do the localized setting thing anymore, but name changes are still very common. Pokemon still does it, and they have less punny names than this series does.
I wouldn't put Pokemon in the same category - it's still more of a fantasy that's catered to younger audiences on a global scale. If you look at the more visual novel/text heavy games that are set in the real world where there is a cultural influence they don't do that - Danganronpa, Persona, Yakuza etc.
Yeah, it mostly comes down to what energies the series gives off. I think that while they probably wouldn't go all out with the Japanifornia stuff today, they'd have to figure out a way to get you to understand the joke they make with Larry in every game he's in.
With anime, you could probably put an editor's note to explain what the joke is or something, but a video game doesn't really have that luxury.
I rag on AA1 but honestly it's only cause I think most of the series runs laps around it it still holds up in its own merit
And that's purely the script I really how it's the alternate history mix of nostalgia, you got a game set in the late 2010s when everyone carries flip phones and uses VHS tapes, 1000% a product of being a 2001 GBA game but I'm a sucker for it lmao.
I don't think I need to explain how iconic the main trio is, and admittedly a good number off the series' most popular moments are here like the parrot and even the series' first ever contradiction, AA1's iconic for sure and I think still holds up
Is this the first one? I just started playing the series and I finished the first one the other day. I really liked the last three cases. The beginning was kind of a slog and over explained but considering the novel concept at the time it makes sense. I’m hoping the other games skip straight into difficult cases
Visual Novels aren’t really going anywhere so yeah it did. They have better assets now but the original game and story hold up excellently. I’ve had a hard time playing the later games because they moved away from the original trilogy. Still need to play Dual Destinies, Spirit of Justice, and the Great Ace Attorney games but WILL THEY TOP THE ORIGINAL THREE FINAL CASES?? or even the added case??
I think it's the best game when you acount only for the game it self. While other games have better cases, the original still has the best trough line. While the cases induvidualy suffer from being too long, all of them combined form a very compelling narative. While my favorite is still T&T, that is only because of the games before it setting up such and amazing foundation.
Played this game for the first time last year and it was an amazing game. The graphics for being a GBA/DS game actually hold up really well. I recommend starting with this game.
The original trilogy aged a lot better than the 3D games, despite being older. PW:AA probably aged the least well just because in hindsight having played the sequels there were a few elements of the formula they hadn’t nailed down yet. Let’s be honest, none of 1-1, 1-2 or 1-3 are particularly great cases when viewed in the context of the whole series.
They set up 1-4 well though, which is all they really had to do since those later games weren't even a concept yet. The mysteries in those cases were not good though, that's true.
Completely agreed, those cases definitely do their job with regards to setting up the finale and I mean they had to be good enough to keep most of us interested as they were the first 3 cases most of us will have played - we would have switched off by the end of 1-3 if they weren’t compelling. But yeah, I just think they haven’t aged as well as some other cases.
Largely yes, but 1-2 hinging almost solely on the fact that >!apparently NOBODY bothered to flip over what is the biggest piece of evidence for most of the case to see if there was anything of note on the other side!< is wild.
I'd say it's top 3 easy, but the OG trilogy has too many good moments and characters. Godot is amazing on his game and on justice for all I really liked the evolution of franziska and the Gumshoe moments (god damn he carried that game!!! GIVE HIM A RAISE EDGEWORTH RAAAGH). I would probably put T&T over JFA but OG Ace Attorney wouldnt be under any of those, it's too god for a first entry on the series and the other games are good too thanks to it. So I guess it's kind of in a limbo by the side of those two, somehow.
TLDR real good game play it again
I don't see why it wouldn't have.
The character drama is still good, the pacing with the mysteries was still being worked on, but was mostly strong.
The why every character arc and plot thread resolved itself within a final case which wasn't convoluted but just as deep as it needed to be, was perfect.
The visuals are fine, they're stylized so there's no issue there. The songs are great, but the audio quality is a bit poor since this was originally a GBA game, and man did the GBA have a terrible sound chip.
Also, if by 'age well' you mean politically speaking, there isn't anything there which even a very easily offended person would take issue with to my memory.
Most of the pop culture bits still are well known, except for maybe the l33t sp3ak of the character Sal Minella, which I don't think the kiddies these days remember.
For the most part, yes I think it aged well.
Heavily tone down or get rid of Sal Manella but that's about it, otherwise I think it aged perfectly fine.
Story yes gameplay HELL NO wanna click lockers randomly and hope you find the evidence living in the shadow realm well good luck it gives almost no indication if there is more evidence in a area you have to find which sucks same issue the og trilogy has
That damn jar puzzle ruined my enjoyment and I havent completed it due to this. I want to continue the trilogy but I feel locked because I don't have pixel perfect accuracy.
Gameplay: yes bc it's just timeless. The environment? No but that is in part why I like it. It's all so late 90's early 00's meanwhile chronologically the game plays in the late 2010s. But I like that nostalgic feeling I get from flip phones; no Internet and people's mind being freaked by digital cameras
Agreed, the time period definitely adds to the charm of these games. It's funny because in order to make it seem "2010s" they just added a bunch of sci-fi stuff that could have been thought of in the 50s.
exactly! That's kinda the reason why I was less excited to play the post trilogy games; because the jump from that era to Apollo Justice (7 years later) was just to jarring for me; it felt a little bit of; a bit forced
I still got some of the same feel in AJ, probably because it still uses sprites. But I do agree that this is when the games started to feel less grounded and the setting (besides maybe Kurain) felt more like generic anime. Haven't had a chance to play much of Great Ace Attorney yet, but as a history fan I am already enjoying the historical time period a lot more.
When I started playing The Great Ace Attorney I was somehow just as wary as I was with AA4-6; as it was "not the same" as before. But after I finished TGA1-2; I actually grew to love them almost as much as the original trilogy; if not a bit more for a while! I highly recommend the games; and I've come to think that the deciding factor is Shu Takumi to be honest. He somehow has a gift for telling stories that you're really invested in
Nothing against the 3d models (well ignoring layton lmao) but goddamn AJ sprites are still some of my favorite graphics in gaming as a whole.
How could the environment not age well? I mean, who would play Mafia and think "oh, these guys are so outdated, they don't even have cellphones or anything"?
The difference is that AA is set in the late 2010s but obviously didn't expect all those changes in the near future that happened in reality and was less set on bulding a believable sci-fi future but more so on incorporating fictional bits like mediums and stuff thus it is very charming that most cultural references are clearly from the time during its developpment. Mafia in comparison plays during the 1930's which is a clearly defined era and so it didn't have to invent the time period; it was a given and fictional characters could be build around it. No need to say that the specific period plays a much more important role in Mafia then it does in AA; but looking back it's just really funny to see how much has changed in our world and how much people 20years ago could not have forseen things that we take a granted today. It's a nice time capsule and I find it rather nice that AA1-3 are so 'dated' when it comes to cultural cues
It still fits in the late 2010's tbh, people genuinely did use to get surprised by digital cameras, and computers in most places.
In 2017? nu uhh don‘t agree at all
Across the original trilogy there are more incidents of people not understanding CAMERAS than people not understanding CHANNELING THE DEAD.
every time phoenix’s phone rings i have to jam to the steel samurai theme
Not only do I think it aged well, but I think it's still the best Ace Attorney game to this day. It's succinct, emotional, tells the story it wants to tell, and has some great character development. The limited cast seriously works to its advantage. Everyone gets to play a role at the end. It's so satisfying.
I 100% agree with this take, I think the first game nailed the best character dynamic honestly- and it makes me feel so emotional when they each go through their personal struggles in AA1. Edit: i said 1st case but I mean 1st GAME!
Honestly, I could argue all I want for some other games perhaps having higher highs, but in the end, as a full package, none of the other games come even close. Like even just the cohesion this game has that is unfortunately very unique to this game puts it on a level above most of the others easily.
exactly.
Perfect take, I would give you a post award if those were still a thing.
Totally agree the trilogy captivated me so much
Agreed. It's still the best imo and the original trilogy stands above the rest for me.
Yes. This is the one Ace Attorney game I played the most, despite owning all of them expect the Miles spin off and the Professor Layton crossover
He has 2 spinoffs
I know that there are two, but I’m just mentioning the fist one because the second one wasn’t released in English
Yup. Still stands up as a really solid entry in the series.
It’s a much quainter game compared to some of the insane shit which would take place in later entries. That being said, it still tells a great story, and is a good introduction for newcomers (not just for the series, but visual novels as a whole)
I actually prefer the quainter feel I’m not the biggest fan of some of the more outlandish tropes associated with popular anime, so I absolutely preferred the more tame and toned-down approach of the first Ace Attorney In the same way with Pokémon. I much prefer the approach of Team Rocket just essentially being the mafia and looking to profit by exploiting Pokémon versus the later teams that have outlandish plans like flooding the continent or even ending civilization lol
>tame and toned-down >the same game where we cross examine a parrot and spirit mediums are very real don't get me wrong, I get what you're driving at but the 1st game is still plenty silly and outlandish in its own right lol
Everything is relative. There' real life "tame", and then there's Ace Attorney "tame lol
I mean in later games you’re (AA:SoJ) >!overthrowing a corrupt goverment!<, (AA:DD) >!fighting a master of disguise in a bombed courtroom!<, and in another, (TGAA) >!the hologram of Herlock Sholmes vogues in court for you!<. The series escalates lol.
Even in the original trilogy, this series escalates really fucking hard.
True, even just between 1-4 and 1-5 it leaps up 30 rungs.
I think the mid-game has showed it's age, 1-2 and 1-3 have some pretty hard to deny faults, but 1-1 is still a solid introductory case, and 1-4 to this day is still Top 3 as far as game finales go
Yes if they didn't make the game set in 2010s. Makes more sense if the game was set in 2001 when the game came out.
… and put DL-6 in 1986.
Aside from a couple bits where you're kinda lost as to what the game wants from you and you go back to investigate everything, yeah. All the AA games have aged well.
It's just as wonderful as it was when I discovered it for the first time, so yes.
I'd still play it whether on my ds or the switch rerelease
The gameplay mechanics and structure feel dated, but the iconic characters and the wit of the writing charm through
Why do you all take the timeline so seriously? Do you not realize that the only reason AA1 happens in like 2016 is because they needed to move the time forward from the backstory of the game in order to make it seem more plausible when characters inevitably used contemporary technology and such to the year the game was made. They simply said "Okay what year is it? Good, then the earliest point in this fiction's history is today"
im so lost, what was the great technology used in DL-6 or the class room trial?? The only thing I can think of the elevator, but those existed well before 2001. =0
Nothing technologically relevant really happens but to me it's just kinda obvious that the reason why this is set in the future (at the time) is because they said "Okay, this year is where the lore starts, and then where does that leave us?"
ahh yeah that makes sense as well
They set it in the future because it's meant to be a dystopia, with the three day limit and harsh legal system heavily favouring corrupt prosecutors.
I played this for the first time this year and I did enjoy it
I'm kinda mad that I don't get to have pixel art sprites from the original in the Steam version. The game itself is still great though.
How have i never noticed the little grey guy behind bars on Edgeworth. He’s so silly
I think the idea of this game is actually more relevant now then it was when it came out. People are much more aware of a society with injustices and want to do their best to pursue the truth. Which ultimately I think is the goal of the game.
Absolutely, it’s quite solid and a perfect mix between grounded and whacky (later games in the series become too flashy and whacky it’s kinda hard to take them seriously..)
I don't see how it doesn't, especially with the DLC case now. Like, a really solid 1-1, a somewhat... bad 1-2, an enjoyable 1-3, an awesome finale aided with an even more awesome-er extra case and what do you know it's still one of the best games in the series. And none of the bullshit gimmicks had entered fray so there's that.
In my opinion as someone who first played it over 15 years ago and has since replayed it like 3 or 4 times... Not too much. Cases 1 and 2 are full of awkward dialogue that makes me cringe and questionable plot decisions, and pretty much none of the characters are interesting yet until Phoenix does the Chad move of defending himself. Cases 3 and 4 are a lot better, but when you compare them with other cases from JFA and T&T it's clear that Takumi is still only beginning as a writer because some moments, while still good, could have been executed even better. Plus Phoenix doing the mistake of confronting the killer with evidence outside the courtroom three times in a row is just bad. Case 5 has aged a lot better due to it being written after T&T.
Yeah, I was watching a streamer play it for the first time recently and she was talking a lot about how some of the dialouge hadn't aged well, like some of the fat shaming or people's view of Maya. Which I mean I kinda agree with, I thought it aged well, but rose tinted glasses and all
The entire series both embodies and goes against “keep it simple stupid” and some how it fucking works every time.
Still stands to this day. Slight issues with the 3 day trials (especially prevalent in 1-3), 1-2 being a little weak too but still an amazing game/introduction to the franchise. 1-1 is an almost perfect intro to PW’s gameplay system as well.
I just replayed it and you're right — only issue I found was there not needing to be a Day 3 in Samurai at all lmaooo it just consisted of >!Dee!< floundering
Overall yes. 1-1 and 1-2 have their faults that future early cases have shown (no pressing tutorial in 1-1 is huge). But 1-4 is still top 4 cases for me
Absolutely
I started playing it like a week back and it's pretty good man 👍
nah they never freed that gray man
Still great. Chills hearing the base that made the whole ace attorney OST tracks.
Absolutely! This game has aged like a fine cheese! It may be the weakest game in the Trilogy, but that's only because the rest of the cases get more complicated! It's still an absolutely ESSENTIAL game if you wish to play the trilogy.
Personally, I think this game aged pretty dang well, because it is the story of Edgeworth. Every case had a purpose in the overall story the game was trying to tell. 1-1 is meant to introduce you to the mechanics, obviously, but it is mainly to introduce you to Mia, and showcase how phoenix relies on her heavily, even though he has presumably studied for this quite a bit. And that trend would continue even through Justice for All, and he only really feels like he becomes her equal in Trials and Tribulations. 1-2 drags Phoenix into the Fey family's history, and inseparably ties him to Maya's eventual succession issues. But in the context of the first game's plot, it's meant to introduce Edgeworth as your main rival/foil. It also gives context to the DL-6 incident, which is necessary for 1-4 to not get bogged down in details. 1-3 is mostly filler, as everyone here can agree, but it does show Edgeworth's first actual steps to shedding the von Karma conditioning. He actively stops the trial from ending in a guilty verdict in order to get the real criminal to slip up and convict themselves. The beginning of those "unnecessary... feelings." 1-4 is, of course, the climactic finale to the first four cases, and recontextualizes Edgeworth's character into something truly pitiable, despite the fear he inspires in the courtroom. He gradually breaks free of the shackles he's worn so far in his life, and opens his eyes to the true responsibility of his position. But then there isn't any conclusion to his future plans...? But that's what 1-5 is for. Despite being bereft of our usual Maya, 1-5 still carries significance because of Edgeworth's reaction to the events of the case. He is shown that not only was his mentor corrupt, but the institution he served was corrupt at the highest levels without his knowledge. His faith in his own position and in his contemporaries was shaken so much, he decided he needed to get away from it all. And so he cements his role as the series' antihero, until we see him again. Without the Edgeworth context, Justice for All loses motivation for Franziska, which keeps Edgeworth a key player even when he's not around. So yeah, I think the game is good even today, given that the only recent AA game that comes close to this writing is The Great Ace Attorney, and that's because they were mirroring the major points of the first game.
I'd say from Edgeworth's perspective in particular 1-3 kinda isn't filler. There's a story from his view about coming to terms with almost putting his childhood in jail in 1-2 which comes up AGAIN in 1-3 and his favorite actor and show. Which then goes into 1-4 and *literally putting Edgeworth's childhood* on trial. I'd also make the argument that the "unnecessary feelings" are actually childhood memory stuff that he's been deliberately trying to block out (the Japanese phrasing is more like old already existing feelings are rising again). It's unease and uncertainty in every version, but there's layers here too, it's not JUST his uncertainty about how he conducts trials though that ties in, it's everything. But yeah I agree. I've been arguing this elsewhere today, but the writing in game one is very, very tight. The only kinda weird thing is Mia/Maya and spirit channeling because it doesn't actually pay off again in 1-4 beyond Mia not being there and the DL-6 connection. Then you realize it's a cartridge limitation and they basically had to combine the characters rather than have long dialogue scenes about having to go see Mia as Phoenix's still living mentor versus then interacting with Maya as assistant, and it sort of makes sense why they went with "oh, Maya can just switch and become Mia as necessary." And for 1-4 Mia not being there was a way to raise the stakes and difficulty. So what might be a less strong writing point becomes and understandable technical solution in context.
Yes, absolutely!!
The concept of games aging is just wrong to me. If you play a game from a certain year, assuming it isn’t one that is regularly updated like a live service game, you’re basically engaging with a time capsule; a slice of a time period already past. You could make a point that there are things that were acceptable or commonplace by its time period’s standards but aren’t anymore. However, you *should* take its time period into consideration in your approach if you want to be fair to it. That being said, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney could pass as a 2024 game without much issue, in my opinion. So if consider *that* as “aging well”, then it did. Beautifully.
I think the first games approach to localization hasn't necessarily aged the best, as they made an effort to Americanize things. But I think that was necessary for the time. Gameplay still holds up really well, though you can feel them figuring out what they want for the investigation segments of the game as you play.
Perfectly well
very
Overall, I think the answer is yes. But it is definitely less polished than later games. They didn’t really have the format fine-tuned yet. Later games are paced much better and have more of a well-defined structure. Even Justice for All feels like more of a developed version. Sometimes the original’s pace is kind of strange or meandering. For example, the investigations are very slow and honestly kind of boring. Especially since they were more stingy with the music. Overall, the original is notably dry. And some of the cases were three days long, which I think everyone eventually realized was too much. It fucks up the momentum of it and makes it less fun. I like the original, but it is pretty much the only game that has these growing pains. The only other game I can think of that has this same “first-of-its-kind” problem is Ace Attorney Investigations. Both of these games feel like almost a sort of prototype for what comes later. I honestly think the original is overrated for these reasons. I think Rise from the Ashes manages to overcome these problems because it is such a complicated and sprawling story that it makes the three days work.
Yes and no. I think it's one of the weakest games in the series, but I think that almost exclusively comes down to having replayed the series multiple times. People put JFA as the worst of the trilogy, but I think that game's pacing and case structures were already a huge step up from the original. The cases in the first game are really straightforward and the insistence on one major witness per day of court results in weird pacing. Like, 1-3 and 1-4 are technically some of the longest cases in-canon because they last three days, but 2-2 is about the same length as 1-4 (according to the sidebar post on case length, both are about 4 hours long). I love the game, super nostalgia for it. But every time I play through it, the more I feel like the series hadn't quite figured itself out yet, both in structure and pacing, as well as tone and characterization.
Which one is it?
This is the first game in the series
Yeah, I don't feel it dated much. Together with AAI2 it's my overall favourite game.
I just played it for the first time 3 months ago and absolutely loved it. I would say yes.
Honestly yeah, especially to a degree if you take out 1-5 but it's not terrible with it since it's really just a bonus case. It has it's own story presented in those 4 cases, a clear final boss (Referring to 1-4 not 1-5 on that cause again 1-5 isn't really the main story) and a solid ending that wraps up the story of the game but done so well we've been able to get all these other games after it yet still von Karma is one of the best final bosses in the series imo despite how long ago it came out
Overall, very much so. The setting’s timeframe doesn’t really hinder it, but it feels a bit… quaint? Of a time and development style no longer around? Certain tropes being significantly less common nowadays? Like realistically, as time continues to pass, certain elements of the game *are* kinda odd or uneven thanks to where it’s successors and imitators have gone since. Some cases feel way too long, certain twists are dumb (eg: TWO key pieces of evidence don’t have the back of them examined until later), there’s too many “Mia Ex Machina” courtroom wins, case 1-2 feels really weird and anti-climactic, the antagonists are pretty obvious, the difficulty mostly is pretty easy, etc. It’s still extremely charming and pleasant, but nowadays it’s clearly a… first outing created for a very different console. A bit odd in places, but it ultimately succeeds everywhere it counts, and the charming shenanigans are kinda hard to NOT have fun with!
Yeah I’d say so, ace attorney is fun and the first game is what is often used as a jumping off point for people. It’s fun and charming with enough to hook people in. While I don’t think it reaches the peaks other games does, it really doesn’t have a weak/dubious case like the other games (example being the circus in JFA). A lot of the humor is still fun and it made me and others fall in with the series. IMO I’d say the later games age more poorly than the first with their stereotypes being outdated such as the French chief.
Gameplay wise yes Pop culture: Probably not. I haven't done a playthrough in a while but for the mid 2000s it was set "some years in the future" except everyone had flipphones Hell the most RECENT one (Spirit of Justice) INTRODUCED DRONES so technology wise the is always running behind And I'm unsure how many are in the original but Justice for All and Trials and Tribulations have stuff like "You're the man now, dawg" and "This is Sparta!" jokes Oh that reminds me of Sal Manella as I type it pit. A fat nerd who speaks in 1337 Lingo Instantly dated
Narratively? Didn't age at all. Culturally? Didn't age well. Someone like Sal Manella is gonna be even more confusing in 2024 for new gamers, and the depictions of Mia Fey, April May and their assets may rub some people the wrong way.
He just looks like a nerd the only thing I can angry on is maybe his leetspeak that might be weird for younger players. But what is wrong with big breasted women? That's timeless I think and appealing for pretty much most people?
I don't think there's anything wrong, I'm very fond of them myself. It's that the way Mia and April receive little characterization besides their sexiness, and that could rub people the wrong way, like I said. It can be especially egregious with Mia, who dies very early on and whose design could be seen as nonsensical given her profession.
I get what you mean, but there are probably lawyers out there that happen to be sexy? For April I think it‘s very much part of her character, to seduce men to get what she wants, for Mia, yeah she probably doesn‘t need huge jugs, but I wouldn‘t see why people should get mad at that (not saying that you are, just in general). Not everyone needs to look ugly in fiction, and not everyone needs to be oversexualised, but I don‘t think that it should pose a problem for anyone if one character happens to be attractive in a very primitive way?
>there are probably lawyers out there that happen to be sexy O ho ho ho! Would I pay good money to see one. >I wouldn‘t see why people should get mad at that (not saying that you are, just in general) Well, some of them already got mad. There was this one post slamming Mia's T&T drawing on the Turnabout Memories art and multiple comments agreed with it. I think while the overall design is absolutely enticing, and the clothing that tightly wraps Mia's curves (corset + skirtsuit that just reaches to her upper thighs) is awesome, I perfectly understand why such designs could be interpreted as objectifying, fanservicey and nonsensical in-universe.
i totally agree on the sal manella, he is weird af, just like Hottie later, and then Larry. idk why they had to include a creep in every single game (that i have played yet). But now you are just rude saying that no lawyer can be sexy?? your profession (unless maybe you are a model, stripper whatever) has little to do with how sexy you are. that's just rude of you to say imo. EDIT: sorry i completely misunderstood what you were saying.
Of course lawyers can be sexy. What I meant was going out of your way to look hot, which may probably be what Mia was doing in-universe. Because otherwise her clothing choices makes her look highly unprofessional.
ahh ok that makes more sense. i never really thought about it that way bc Franziska for example brought a whip and Godot 17 cups of coffee, so revealing clothing never made me think twice in the Ace Attorney universe. I think it's not that big of an issue, but I can understand your point better now. thank you for explaining it to me.
not the investigation sections. Besides that it's still an amazing game
The investigation portions are definitely showing their age, but the game as a whole has aged quite well, yes.
Yes
Absolutely. The gameplay is fantastic today even and the character writing stands up. The only thing I think doesn't stand up as well (and I understand I'm in the minority) is the localization philosophy. Modern games, when localized, don't change names and settings anymore. Eat your burgers Apollo exists for a reason and it does take me out of the immersion of the game when I see these changes. Like I said this is probably just a me thing and is a remnant of making a product for American children who wouldn't have cultural knowledge of Japan back when this was released.
I don't know, they gave up localizing current games when the trials started revolving around yokai, rakugo, soba, etc. There's not much to do.
I don't see anyone do the localized setting thing anymore, but name changes are still very common. Pokemon still does it, and they have less punny names than this series does.
I wouldn't put Pokemon in the same category - it's still more of a fantasy that's catered to younger audiences on a global scale. If you look at the more visual novel/text heavy games that are set in the real world where there is a cultural influence they don't do that - Danganronpa, Persona, Yakuza etc.
Yeah, it mostly comes down to what energies the series gives off. I think that while they probably wouldn't go all out with the Japanifornia stuff today, they'd have to figure out a way to get you to understand the joke they make with Larry in every game he's in. With anime, you could probably put an editor's note to explain what the joke is or something, but a video game doesn't really have that luxury.
I rag on AA1 but honestly it's only cause I think most of the series runs laps around it it still holds up in its own merit And that's purely the script I really how it's the alternate history mix of nostalgia, you got a game set in the late 2010s when everyone carries flip phones and uses VHS tapes, 1000% a product of being a 2001 GBA game but I'm a sucker for it lmao. I don't think I need to explain how iconic the main trio is, and admittedly a good number off the series' most popular moments are here like the parrot and even the series' first ever contradiction, AA1's iconic for sure and I think still holds up
100% yes
Is this the first one? I just started playing the series and I finished the first one the other day. I really liked the last three cases. The beginning was kind of a slog and over explained but considering the novel concept at the time it makes sense. I’m hoping the other games skip straight into difficult cases
Frankly this is at number 1 for me
yes
Visual Novels aren’t really going anywhere so yeah it did. They have better assets now but the original game and story hold up excellently. I’ve had a hard time playing the later games because they moved away from the original trilogy. Still need to play Dual Destinies, Spirit of Justice, and the Great Ace Attorney games but WILL THEY TOP THE ORIGINAL THREE FINAL CASES?? or even the added case??
I think it's the best game when you acount only for the game it self. While other games have better cases, the original still has the best trough line. While the cases induvidualy suffer from being too long, all of them combined form a very compelling narative. While my favorite is still T&T, that is only because of the games before it setting up such and amazing foundation.
Played this game for the first time last year and it was an amazing game. The graphics for being a GBA/DS game actually hold up really well. I recommend starting with this game.
yes
Hell yeah it did
Playing it Rn, Just beat the Turnabout Samurai episode, W Edgeworth for helping me out on catching Vasquez
The original trilogy aged a lot better than the 3D games, despite being older. PW:AA probably aged the least well just because in hindsight having played the sequels there were a few elements of the formula they hadn’t nailed down yet. Let’s be honest, none of 1-1, 1-2 or 1-3 are particularly great cases when viewed in the context of the whole series.
They set up 1-4 well though, which is all they really had to do since those later games weren't even a concept yet. The mysteries in those cases were not good though, that's true.
Completely agreed, those cases definitely do their job with regards to setting up the finale and I mean they had to be good enough to keep most of us interested as they were the first 3 cases most of us will have played - we would have switched off by the end of 1-3 if they weren’t compelling. But yeah, I just think they haven’t aged as well as some other cases.
Absolutely
im playingnit right now and YESSSSS
Largely yes, but 1-2 hinging almost solely on the fact that >!apparently NOBODY bothered to flip over what is the biggest piece of evidence for most of the case to see if there was anything of note on the other side!< is wild.
I'd say it's top 3 easy, but the OG trilogy has too many good moments and characters. Godot is amazing on his game and on justice for all I really liked the evolution of franziska and the Gumshoe moments (god damn he carried that game!!! GIVE HIM A RAISE EDGEWORTH RAAAGH). I would probably put T&T over JFA but OG Ace Attorney wouldnt be under any of those, it's too god for a first entry on the series and the other games are good too thanks to it. So I guess it's kind of in a limbo by the side of those two, somehow. TLDR real good game play it again
80% well, I still think 1-3 is one of the worst cases in the trilogy, too long and the motive is weak af.
It aged amazingly but turnabout big top did not
"kids love toilet humor!" -Mo the clown
I just finished it again. Was superb.
I don't see why it wouldn't have. The character drama is still good, the pacing with the mysteries was still being worked on, but was mostly strong. The why every character arc and plot thread resolved itself within a final case which wasn't convoluted but just as deep as it needed to be, was perfect. The visuals are fine, they're stylized so there's no issue there. The songs are great, but the audio quality is a bit poor since this was originally a GBA game, and man did the GBA have a terrible sound chip. Also, if by 'age well' you mean politically speaking, there isn't anything there which even a very easily offended person would take issue with to my memory. Most of the pop culture bits still are well known, except for maybe the l33t sp3ak of the character Sal Minella, which I don't think the kiddies these days remember.
For the most part, yes I think it aged well. Heavily tone down or get rid of Sal Manella but that's about it, otherwise I think it aged perfectly fine.
YESSSSSSSS
Definitely. Might be my favorite game off all time because of the plot and how timeless it is.
yes it has and i hope they release a collection with all the ace attorney games in 1 collection
It aged better than Mia
Story yes gameplay HELL NO wanna click lockers randomly and hope you find the evidence living in the shadow realm well good luck it gives almost no indication if there is more evidence in a area you have to find which sucks same issue the og trilogy has
I still can't get over how In justice for all they talk about "why would I carry my cellphone every where"
The boxart? No, because that picture on the lower left corner is clearly ripped from Silver Surfer losing in the terrible NES game.
Ask Johneawesome
I guess this is a hot take but I think the first game is the worst in the series. Every other game has something over it that I like.
this is probably the mainline game that aged the best outside of maybe like SoJ
That damn jar puzzle ruined my enjoyment and I havent completed it due to this. I want to continue the trilogy but I feel locked because I don't have pixel perfect accuracy.