The original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney not only helped bring visual novels into the mainstream in the West, it’s also one of the best detective games of all time. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney was also one of the first handheld console games that was ported to mobile, since it was a touchscreen game on the DS anyways. That port showed the potential that mobile gaming had, especially when it came to porting handheld games.
Anyways, fast-forward a few years and smartphones have gotten bigger screens and better specs, meaning DS ports are even more viable than they were before. That brings us to the game I want to talk about today: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney came out on the DS almost 10 years ago, but was only recently ported to smartphones.
Something Of A Reboot
As the name suggests, Apollo Justice is the first game in the series to not feature Phoenix Wright, although Wright is a large presence in the game. Instead, the player controls Apollo Justice, a young attorney who becomes a bit of a protégé to Phoenix Wright. This means that the game is almost like a reboot for the Ace Attorney series, even though it fits in the same timeline as the original games. In other words, it’s the perfect game to bring you back to the Ace Attorney series if you haven’t played any beyond the first one (which is the case for me).
Sure, the game references previous entries in the Ace Attorney series, and someone who has followed the whole series will get the most out of this game. For those who have only played the first game (or haven’t played any of the games), though, it would also be a great entry point to the series, especially since the original game isn’t available for Android. It retains the same feel of the other Ace Attorney games, but is even more absurd and funny than the original games, which is a feat.
In case you’re wondering, the game is just about split between detective work and attorney work. That is, once you’re given a case, you’ll interview witnesses and examine the scene of the crime for any clues you might find. Once that aspect of a case is over, you move to the courtroom, where you can cross-examine witnesses, point out inconsistencies, and present evidence to advocate for your client. If you’ve ever wanted a detective or lawyer game on your smartphone, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is both.
Visual Novels Are Perfect Mobile Games
If you’ve never heard of the Ace Attorney series but like visual novels, this is a great one to check out. Visual novels are the perfect types of games to be ported to smartphones, since the control schemes don’t need to allow for fast button presses or anything. Just like the original Ace Attorney, Apollo Justice is a great visual novel to play on-the-go, whenever you have a second.
Now, the only problem with Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is that it costs $15.99. This is pricey for a mobile game, but remember that this is a faithful DS port, and not just a smartphone game. For some people, this is a prohibitive cost, especially if you don’t like visual novels, but if you do like visual novels this is a great value that you’ll get hours and hours of enjoyment out of.
Download Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney for iPhone or Android
