The original thread wasn't clear on how to seperate Part 1/2 on Case 5 (with JFA/T&T all cases are 2 days, so day 1 is a day and day 2 another).

Any suggestions on when the cut off should be?

I would do this, however I just played a marathon session of all three games back to back not too long ago in preparation for Apollo Justice anyway so I'll give this a miss.

Same as Pach but I'm halfway through. Things I learned: I actually do like case 1-5 and I really do hate PW2.

That's because PW2's cases are largely annoying and you run into "use everything on everything" situations more, Psyche Locks only add to this.

I only have T&T. Very recently I finished them all again, so count me out. 0o

buy me a DS

Bwaah?! As much as I love the last game (last case = <3), PW2 is my favorite in the series by far. That last case was epic in itself. Come on! Matt Engarde? That was amazing!

I love the music, too, but my bias toward PW3's composer makes me love that game's soundtrack just a little bit more.

Anyway, I'm all in for this.

~Shadowed Spirit Sage

Craig, you should go ahead and make a topic in the GA for this.

No one else though. Craig is the one who is running this thing. That way he can change the topic title and such.

Understood. I will start it now.

Nah, I'll just move this one. Why make two topics?

Ok. Delete my new topic then, you moved/replied while I was making the new one.

Yeah, sorry, dunno why the idea didn't come to me sooner than it did.

THE
MARATHON
STARTS
TOMORROW

IT STARTS NOW... at least for those of us at Central...er, now Mountain (US) time or earlier.

So Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Case 1-1...

This is probably one of my favorite cases. Sure it is short and simple... but damned if it isn't satisfying!

This was the case that got me hooked on the series. Up till I started playing it, I thought you guys were crazy, just obsessed with a stupid game.

It was probably the single best way to introduce us to the game itself. It shows us how we will constantly be required to think outside the box.

---------------
okays... For the people who just recently played through the games... That doesn't mean you can't discuss with us!

Secondly, I'm about to send away my only copy of JFA to my cousin 8O... I bought him PW1 used at Gamestop today. Then decided to run to Best Buy and get PW3. See, my cousin is having a rough time at his high school. He gets picked on a lot, even beat up. He liked PW1 when I lent it to him when he was here over the summer. I've been planning on sending him all 3 games for a month or so now. But when I heard he wasn't going to join National Honor Society, I knew I had a perfect cover for giving him the games =)

So now he gets a complete PW1, a copy of PW2 and the manual, and the PW3 cart. And I get a US PW3 box, plus an extra PW2 case. Oh, and we can add another fan to our ranks. I'd say it is win-win-win.

I placed an order for my replacement copy of JFA at Walmart.com tonight. It should get to me on the 7th or 8th, just in time for the schedule. If not, I can flashcart it 8O.

Alrighty, so here we go. Game 1, case 1.

I still have my Case Commentary track of this, so listening to that helped me a bit while going over things.

Well
Case 1-1 is a very simple little beasty, nothing too brain taxing or brain melting about it. The lack of profile objections in AA1 kind of makes the game feel alot simpler, also.

Even though I still gripe about the lack of localization for the time difference puzzle, I still think it's ingenious and it has a good way of proving how the game logic works.

Ok... I admit I am pissed off every time by how BLATANTLY GUILTY Sahwit is and how you have to move heaven and Earth to prove it.

Man, playing this is reigniting my love of the series...

I recall when I first played the Court gameplay isn't what hooked me, it is what eventually made me love the series, but the thing which hooked me in, slammed me with the oar and had me sail the Nick Ship to freedom was the characters.

Larry makes such an amazing first impression with his over the top manga expressions and Nick backs it up with his abysmal failure and the way you just feel sorry for him in court, then Payne's annhilation and Sawhit's explosion.

After case 1 the game was a backseat to the characters and then I would later joyfully find out the plot.

Having the opportunity to watch the Phoenix characters grow as they have will be a wonderful experience for the next few weeks. Little delicacies like Edgeworth's greatest fear stick so solidly through the game that when Trish and I played Game 3 Case 5 there was a moment where she breathed out "Oh no, Edgeworth..." before the game even indicated he was in trouble.

Such great writing always makes me smile and it's why I love the series as a whole.

Starting now. Write up when I'm done.

Ok, case done.

To be fair, I don't much like this case too much any more. The first time I played it served as an excellent introduction, but I feel it's overshadowed greatly by later cases. Even the other two introductions - Case 3-1 is perhaps one of my favourites in the series.

As Craig said, it is a bit silly how you have to go through all that to prove what is blatantly obvious in the first place (how does "the clock might not have been wrong!!!" prove that you're not a murderer?), but there were some classic moments in this case - i recall being in hysterics at the wig throw the first time I played.

Unfortunately as I played this the main thing I had on my mind was the Videogame Recap article for it.

On a side subject, any brits got a preorder in for PW4 yet? It's a shame that it probably won't be delivered on the date, I'm going to Susan's on the 21st and it would be cool to take it with me. But yeah, any recommendations to where I should get it from?

I got my pre-order for AA4 which'll arrive sometime between 22-26 of Feb.

Also VGR seems to be enthusiastic to roll out the Phoenix Wright case 2 breakdown as soon as possible.

I kind of miss their older ones but hey, they can do what they wish.

My only slight problem I had when I replayed Case 1-1 was how ugly Mia looked in contrast to her flashback sprites. *shrugs*

yeah i think her sprites look a little...off

dunno why, they just seem out of style

oh and sahwit looks a bit short when you get a full view of the court

Mia's lips are what really creep me out in her front on sprites... or maybe it's the outfit and the not!bra showing so openly so you can see skin.

I usually don't mind her as Maya and her hair and outfit bug me as Pearl.

In flashback she's just fine.

the lack of regionalisation for case 1-1 in english euroland greatly offended me (times zones etc). Even the french playthrough corrected the time zones and even updated the passport to the correct europeland colour

I first played Phoenix Wright with Craig during his second visit. He started the game on the plane ride over, so when he got here, he was well into the third case and couldn't seem to put the DS down, which pissed me off. He offered to let me play the first case, which I reluctantly agreed to, since it seemed we wouldn't do much this visit without it being PW-related. He hooked me in rather quickly. Since it was a short case, I didn't save, but wouldn't let me play the second case because it was longer and he was in the middle of the third case. So we just kept going from there.

I didn't actually play the second case until I was at camp, and suddenly everything about the DL-6 case I learned about started actually making sense.

Redd White of Bluecorp is probably the worst pun I've ever seen, especially when he seems to adopt more pink and purple than any of the colors he's named after :3

I'll add more when I actually play the case. :3

~Shadowed Spirit Sage

ah Case 1-2. Finished it last night at 1am... I can't believe how much I actually remember (what evidence to use when), especially since I haven't played this one since my first time through.

I do have to admit, Redd is one of the 'scariest' villians... if only because of the power he has. Like Falcone from Batman Begins.

That said, I find the ending kind of weak. MayaMia is able to blackmail the man in front of the entire court room.

That said and made me laugh pretty hard at the end =)

I like how the game just kills off one of the main characters almost right after you meet her. I was attached to Mia in the first case. Thought she was pretty cool... and then BAM she's dead. I was really shocked with the case the first time I played it.

On "The First Turnabout":

I've always found the first case to be enjoyable, primarily due to its short length and the utter hilarity of the legal process at work. "Innocent until proven guilty" is one of those things that gets warped out of its original definition, as is seen with Sahwit. I somewhat wish they had continued a trend of cornered witnesses doing something utterly ridiculous to Phoenix a la the toupee throwing. Phoenix didn't need to say a word to express exactly what was going through his mind at the moment. I never minded the American passport business and everything, if only because I purchased the American version...playing it on an American DS...in America. </Bandit Keith>
Oh, the music. Masakazu Sugimori did such a terrific score that I was abjectly disappointed he did not stay on for JFA. Examination ~ Moderate has a uniquely lilting feel, as though a spotlight has been turned on just Phoenix and the witness, presenting an aura of fumbling around in the darkness for answers. This version of Objection! is also classic, and of course the pulse-quickening Cornered remains one of my perpetual favourites of the series.

On "Turnabout Sisters":

More than most cases, this case is one where, provided one takes the right paths, there are huge holes of intended conversation that vanish quite freely (as an example, Phoenix says to Edgeworth, "Didn't you tell me that 'proof is everything'?" but you don't specifically need to press the statement to elicit that response to proceed). Furthermore, I'll never particularly be able to comprehend why White confesses at the end; I would have expected someone so contemptible to be able to shake off what are utterly ungrounded accusations. Nor, for that matter, will I understand how it is that the judge lets slide Edgeworth making that insane deal of trading off the bellboy's testimony for accepting defeat if nothing comes of it.
What makes this case so special is that I really felt for Phoenix here, so naively upright that he winds up incarcerated for a crime with which he had nothing to do. I have to hand it to him: putting his life on the line for someone he never met and who will be his slightly vacuous and irritating sidekick is not something that most people do naturally.
And lastly, cravat > necktie.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention about the music. For some reason the court theme always reminds me of Theme Hospital in PW1 o.o But yeah, this game's music is probably the most definitive of the series. 2's was pretty poor imo but that's for a few days away yet.

Just starting 1-2 now.

Done investigation phase one. I dunno if I'll get the whole case done tonight (I've left it a bit late) but if not I'll catch up tomorrow.

The game starts to pick up momentum around here, I think. We get the first mentions od DL-6, and some great character interaction that really cements them as believable as opposed to one dimensional as is seen in most games. And a few laugh-out-loud moments, too.

Also first introduction to investigation phases. The first one is nice and short, so it's a shame they turn into the most tedious parts of the game. The investigations in Rise from the Ashes get on my nerves with their length.

I don't think I'll have time to play the case today, so can someone who has played answer for me what the game logic of the defendant changing between cases?

I'd have thought that randomly switching the accused overnight would destroy all of the testimony and credibility of both White and May.

Also, I only recently realised April May's is named after consecutive months, which makes me a fool.

I didn't say anything.

As much as I like Wright-O, I don't think I could play it with a time-limit.

The defendant switches from Maya to Phoenix because of Phoenix's pestering of Redd White during the second investigation scene. White decides to end the meeting and calls the district proescutor that he's found the man of the crime; Phoenix, and that he wishes to testify as such.

April May's testimony by then is almost completely shot due to the wiretapping and iirc, only the bit about the direction the victim ran is left recording. Seeing as Redd White's testimony differs from April May's, the court then takes a turn towards Phoenix being the accused.

Ideally what the case should have been is two cases in one; each a seperate case. But for whatever reason, most probably to keep it simple, it wasn't. *shrugs*

Case 2 wins if only for Grossberg x Redd White.

Well, I didn't start on time, but I think I'll join in starting tomorrow (Case 3).

I never really liked 1-1, the only character who I found endearing was Larry Butz., since he was so nave and foolish.

I loved 1-2, as Redd White was deliciously evil, and Grossberg was just...odd.

Just starting the case... but that music... THAT MUSIC!

<3 case wins for the music alone. go go steel samurai!

i'm still quite behind. Just finishing up trial 1 of case 2. the bellboy is such a pervert.

and steel samurai music = very win

yeah @ THS. I'm not behind yet, but I probably will be starting today. damned classes.

That said, I will still be keeping up. I'm disappointed Case 1-4 isn't a 2 dayer, but that's fine. I recently replayed 1-5, so I'll just skip it and use those to days to make up lost time =)

Finished Case 2. I'll probably make a start on Case 3 tonight some time.

If there's one thing good about case 2 is that it's a solid introduction to Maya, who you really have to get attatched to to have any chance of caring for the rest of the series.

On "Turnabout Samurai":

Another case I've always enjoyed. There are enough hysterical antics that make the investigative sequences more tolerable than most, and most of that can be attributed to Cody and Mia. It is just enough to draw one's attention away from the fact that most of the investigation is spent hiking back and forth through Global Studios for no good reason other than to hope to trigger the next event or complete the longest trade-off in history; I remember playing the game for the first time and nearly snapping when Cody appeared uninterested in the Ultra Rare Premium card. One thing that continues to perplex and amuse me alternately about the first day of investigation is how asking, "How is your investigation?" is somehow more direct than asking, "Can I have the autopsy report?" An added bonus to the investigative phase of Turnabout Samurai was the last bit where Gumshoe proves to be the man of the hour and saves Phoenix and Maya from getting erased (doesn't Global Studios believe in such things as background checks for its producers?). Vasquez could have been done in with assault for that alone, but I digress.
Some of the cross-examinations are mind-bending, since they run in loops of pressing statements without any apparent headway. Even so, there's something darkly comical about pushing through these circular testimonies only to find that the principle contradiction is something useless, like the fat man actually did have his steak lunch. In retrospect, it is something of a wonder that Will Powers was arrested; the sloppiness of the police investigation (missing a bottle labelled sleeping pills?) is laughable. I'm pretty sure that a bad photograph, some specious eyewitness testimony, and an unverifiable alibi do not a case make to any lawyer, especially someone as sharp as Edgeworth. Still, Edgeworth's closing remarks to Phoenix after the verdict is delivered are so clearly emotional, perhaps he wasn't all with it from the inception.
Ha, lazy sprite design. When Will Powers is seen standing in the courtroom for the verdict, it's the same sprite as him testifying in the final case of JFA. And finally, there's the famous Steel Samurai theme. Somehow, I figure a real Steel Samurai series would be quite popular.

okays, Now I'm a half day behind.... Just beat the first day of trial. So far the story isn't as good as I remember. IMO the weakest of the first game. Not particularly bad, but when stacked against the others, it lacks that AWESOME feeling, at least for me.

Don't get me wrong, I do like this case. There was a line when I first saw Gumshoe that made me laugh.

EDIT: Well, atm I'm starting Trial day 2 of 1-3... And I'm realizing the case is actually a 3 day ordeal... so screw it. I remember mostly how it ends... But does anyone get in trouble? It was Hammer's fault. But were the coverups fined or anything?

There is never much said about the details of the coverups, except that the paparazzi who snapped the photo was "silenced". I expect that, naturally, much of that history was whitewashed and buried by Global Studios to the degree that most people don't even know anything about it beyond the rumours.
As for the division in "Rise from the Ashes", I don't know if anyone has said anything on Court-Records, but it's probably most reasonable to stop after the second court session (after Lana shocks everyone by admitting to fabrication of evidence). Technically, that whole case is a series of ten parts, but the split from part five and part six unfortunately falls directly in the middle of trial.

On "Turnabout Goodbyes":
As I think about it, the investigative phase was a lot less vexatious in this case than in Turnabout Samurai, and perhaps even shorter. My favourite case in the game, Turnabout Goodbyes is a case whose style ought to be emulated. It justifies the story, fleshes out almost every character in the game, and leaves one feeling thoroughly satisfied at the end of the winding ordeal. Even after all these months, I still feel moved by watching the closing credits to this case. Perhaps this is because this case allows the game the opportunity for extolling and affirming societal virtues without sounding heavily moralistic or hideously cheesy in tone. Lotta and Larry are almost Shakespearean in terms of comic relief characters. Such an enjoyable case, even if it is long.

I feel bad that I haven't been able to keep up. I'm still playing through 1-4, and I will finish it... I might jump here and there on JFA's cases... Or I might not, since I haven't played it in a while.

Actually hell, I might finish 1-4 tonight and just skip 2-1... maybe hit that up at the end.

EDIT:

Done with 1-4. I think I've realized why PW 1 and 3 are more loved than 2. AA and T&T have interconnected stories. AA's DL-6 connects case 2 to case 4. Case 1, 4, and 5 are all interconnected in T&T.

Probably one of my favorite cases in the series. It really tugs at your heart at times. It masterfully creates real characters, with real fears.

People love PW1 and 3 more than 2 mainly for their superior storytelling in respective cases (admittedly, partly because there's an ongoing, wider picture, but then 2-2 is a part of the grand trilogy scheme what with the whole Fey fued REALLY being detailed here) but also more for the superior soundtracks.

That and 2-3 was quite uninspiring (although I did love it for what it was trying to achieve) and 2-1's Wellington was a prick.

I love 2-2 just for the killer... I od'nt know why, but I developed an obsession over her after the first time her personality turned.

I also liked Manfred, Lotta... uh...Franziska...Matt Engarde and Dahlia.

I also like the rest of them but that's just a list of characters I developed an obsession over at some point in time.

Spoilers (Select To Read): Imagine if Dahlia and Matt spawned... that kid would be so evil.

Alright, I'm just going to say it: I have not played any of the PW cases on time =( I guess I'm just going to do it on my own time, because I'm a free spirit.

well, I did get my copy of JFA, FINALLY... and was able to restore my old save file to the new copy Yay for flashing =)

Anyways, I did finish 2-4... Probably one of my favorites. Seeing Matt's break down at the end is awesome... especially when you choose NOT GUILTY =D

This was the first case where I started liking Edgeworth. His line at the end of the story is one of my favorite in the series:

"It doesn't matter how many underhanded tricks a person uses... The truth will aways find a way to make itself known. The only thing we can do is fight with the knowledge we hold and everything we have. Erasing the paradoxes one by one... It's never easy... We claw and scratch for every inch. But we will always eventually reach that one single truth. This I promise you."

Here we go, Turnabout Memories:

This was my first case of the series, but it certainly hooked me into the game. Phoenix's googley-eyed love for "Dollie" is hilarious, as are his perfectly timed sneezes. We get to witness his first "OBJECTION", etc. Mr. Grossman was...uncomfortable. XD To say the least. Actually, I get that uncomfortable feeling in both of Mia's cases, when the men start to gang up on her, but it does make it that much better when she finally reveals Dalia's true colors. I like the placement of it, second case before first, allowing some curiosity toward the past between Mia and Dahlia and Diego Armando's murder. Also notable is Mia's reaction to the possibility that Phoenix had poisoned himself, terrified that this trial will end like here first. Dahlia swears revenge, but that's for another day. =D

XD
"Mia, what are you saying!? My little dahlia does'nt poop!"
-Young Phoenix

I remember him saying that.

On "Rise From the Ashes":

While it wasn't as long as I remember it (perhaps because I remembered the order of events in the investigative sequences), this case still elicits a sense of "ugh" from me. Such a nightmarish thing. Four screens of evidence and repetitive cross-examinations didn't help. The story behind the case was fine, but getting to the finish line is a true labour.

The most amusing line in that had to be Edgeworth after viewing the Meekins-Marshall video: "What the hell is that wriggling piece of plywood?!"

On Justice For All:

Like many, apparently, I hold this was a weaker game than its predecessor. The story wasn't nearly as driven, the score that Akemi Kimura composed was lacking, and the cases wore on the tedious side. "The Lost Turnabout" was satisfactory, and "Reunion, and Turnabout" is integral to the later plot explored in T&T, but overall, JFA didn't have quite as much charm as PW. "Reunion, and Turnabout" was actually a bit of pain for me, since I didn't often go through that case as much as I have with other cases. There's also this ever so slightly suspect thing of Pearl channeling Mia and how utterly unnatural that looks. At the very least, "Farewell, My Turnabout" vindicated the game with Edgeworth's return ("Great Revival" was one of the few decent tracks here), and it certainly held the game to its name by bringing the innocent to freedom and the guilty to justice. Remarkably, the game did an excellent job in exploring Franziska's character despite her presence as the prosecutor in only two cases. A likeable game, but only because it ties to its successor. The lack of adjusting for "Rise From the Ashes" detracts from it.

On "Turnabout Memories":

The sequencing of the cases was one of the most intriguing aspects of the narrative in T&T, and this case crafted the set-up so well. Mia's comment about Dahlia, "Well, I guess we know whose milkshake brings all the boys to the yard..." is one of the most appallingly hilarious observations in the entire series. More importantly, Noriyuki Iwadare did a fantastic performance as the lead composer, and I'm thoroughly glad he also was part of the composition team for SSBB. The T&T soundtrack is superb, with an excellent use of past tracks as well as new renditions of Objection! and Cornered, and of course, who can hate The Fragrance of Dark Coffee? The first good case in the roller coaster to the end of the Phoenix Wright series.