Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice For All Review

By John Walker Published 8 November, 2006

Order! Order! Order it right now!

Version tested: DS

  • "Nick, do some somersaults!"
  • "I'm not doing any somersaults."
  • "Why not!? You look like you'd be great at it!"
  • "(Why do I look like I'd be great at somersaults!?)"

They're back! Oh, happy days. Phoenix and Maya, once more talking utter gibberish at each other, while solving murders most strange. Snoopy dance!

For those who are new to Phoenix Wright, perhaps the most sensible thing is to quickly hop over and read last year's review. I know that seems terribly lazy, but it's that, or a horribly repetitive follow-up. And I'm terribly lazy. But don't worry, I'll also do that clever journalisty thing of cunningly making reference, in the very next sentence.

Defence lawyer Phoenix Wright, and his spirit medium Maya Fey are back once more, taking on a new batch of murder cases in this point and click court-room drama. (There, see how I did that? This is like seeing behind the curtain, right?) What matters is that yes, it's as splendidly crazy as ever, replete with recurring characters, running jokes, and new developments in the soap story of Phoenix's relationships with the evil prosecutors.

'Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice For All' Screenshot 1

Whatever you do, don't call the puppet a puppet. It's not pretty.

If you remember the tutorial of the original, you'll recall the hopeless way Phoenix was 'tested' by the judge to prove he was capable of being a lawyer, by such feats as remembering the victim's name. While a ludicrous idea in a gleefully ludicrous game, it still stank of awkwardness. Never fear, Justice For All has a far better idea: Phoenix gets hit on the head right before the case, and loses his entire memory! Just long enough for Maya to have to remind him what to do. Rather nicely, this tutorial extends beyond Phoenix's bruising amnesia, and develops into a chunky chapter for the game. Certainly shorter than those that follow, it nevertheless has you play through a full court case, with a decent self-contained story.

Chapter 2 is where the game starts proper, told in flashback to explain how Maya came to be back with 'Nick, after leaving him to train as a spirit medium. Oh yes - they haven't forgotten the daftest element of the original. For those that missed out, Mia, Maya's older sister, died in the first main story of the first game, but appears throughout to save the day when psychically channelled by Maya. Previously this just sort of happened, Phoenix slightly bemused by it but just muddling through. No one else seemed to notice Maya's teenage form suddenly transforming into the huge-breasted body of Mia, and it was accepted. This time around there's no such subtlety.

The murder of Chapter 2 (don't worry - all spoilers are disguised for their own protection) takes place at Maya's spiritual camp, involving the channelling of a dead nurse by Maya for a doctor who may or may not have been complicit in the nurse's death. And then the nurse, or was it Maya, kills, or is it doesn't kill, the doctor. Confused? Not nearly as much as you'll be once you try to have a conversation with Ini Miney, valley girl loon who's staying at the camp, or Pearl, the eight-year-old daughter of Maya's aunt who is certain that Phoenix and Maya are deeply in love. So obviously it's little sane relief when psychic photographer, Lotta Hart, reappears...

'Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice For All' Screenshot 2

Be sure to show everyone your badge. It's very important.

And so, once more, we're back in. Constant chuckling abounds as you plough through the elaborately silly conversations, or tap on every item in each location, with Maya excitedly working out how everything might be connected to her eating a burger in the near future. The volume of awful puns this time has doubled, Phoenix generally ouching at them for you, while Maya either misses them completely or finds them impossibly hilarious. In fact, there's one pun so good (read: awful) in Chapter 2 that to even hint at it would give away the murderer! That's some punning.

The most significant new features for part two would be the Magatama and the Psyche-Locks. Remember the strange 9-shaped thing Maya wore around her neck? It's a Magatama, and this time you get one, charged with mystical energy, which can be used to break Psyche-Locks that witnesses use to withhold information. This all takes place outside of the courtroom, during the investigation sections, meaning that the Court Record-based interrogation is no longer kept indoors. A conversation option will appear with a padlock on it, only possible to open once you've gathered enough evidence to prove the witness is keeping knowledge from you. These sections, like the courtroom cross-examinations, will penalise you for making mistakes. Rather than the previous row of exclamation marks, this time you have a green bar that reduces as mistakes are made. Once it's empty, it's game over. However, when trying to open Psyche-Locks, you can replenish the bar by correct answers.

Sadly no such device is added to the cross-examinations, meaning Justice For All falls down in the very same way as the original. Occasionally the evidence you must present to a particular statement is madly obscure, forcing you to resort to guess work, which then means lots of saving and reloading and frustration. Having the meter refill by correct answers would have been splendid. Having no meter at all would have been downright sensible.

'Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice For All' Screenshot 3

Maya! Don't say that! I'll prove your innocence. And then we'll get burgers!

Other niggles? There are a few typos in the text, grammatical mistakes or misspelled words. Not very many, and it's hard to care when remembering that this is a Japanese release, which mysteriously offers a complete localised translation. In fact, in terms of localisation this is incredible. Despite the distinctly Eastern feel to most locations, it states that it's set in America, and then goes head-first into uniquely English-language gags. Not only the puns, but also some far more surprising moments. Chapter 3 involves the murder of a circus ringmaster, and thus a cast of the most peculiar circus performers you could dream of (the apparently borderline ventriloquist, Ben, and his puppet, Trilo Quist (yes, sorry) being of particular note). One of these is a clown, who when on the witness stand suddenly bursts into a parody of the Fresh Prince theme tune. It's on screen for literally a second, before vanishing, but it definitely said, "In West Clownadelphia born and raised..." and that a couple of clowns who were up to no good started making trouble in his neighbourhood. Madder than a bag of hatstands.

Sadly this second re-release of the Japanese-only GBA games doesn't come with a bonus fifth chapter built especially for the DS. It's still, of course, all touch-screen driven, and once more you can shout "OBJECTION!" into your mic to scare other train passengers, but with the tutorial counting as one of the four chapters, it's a far shorter game. Not a short game, by any means, but not as wildly long-lasting as the former.

But don't let that bother you. This is the most joyfully daft fun imaginable, bursting with in-jokes and hilarious set-pieces. Good old Gumshoe has a whole new stock of replies for his continued confusion when you present him with your defence attorney badge, and Maya (and indeed little Pearl) provide non-stop delight. Every location has a ton of gags to find, and then a ton more when another character is around to add in their comments. The court sequences are still maddening with their refusal to accept perfectly valid evidence for no discernable reason, and for this reason it once more fails to achieve the nine I'd so love to give it. But anyone who fell in love with the first Phoenix Wright will know how easily this is forgiven. How can you complain when the prosecutor (a certain Ms. von Karma) begins thwacking the judge across the head with her whip because she's cross? Go ahead, import it, you will not be disappointed.

8 / 10

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About John Walker

Read more articles from John by visiting the John Walker archive page.

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Comments (73) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • SeesThroughAll #1 5 years ago

    AHAHAHAHA!

    Brilliant

  • JayPee #2 5 years ago

    Buurn on PW!

    /Wants just as badly as GoW

  • ChrisS #3 5 years ago

    Nice review. :)

    And yeah, it's ace. It's perhaps not the 'best' game of the year, but almost certainly my favourite so far.

    And Case 4 is incredible. And there's an A-Team reference just after that Fresh Prince one. Genius.

  • Talha #4 5 years ago

    As good as GoW then???

    Shit... I have been beaten to it by LeDil.

  • smoothpete #5 5 years ago

    Woo! Loved the first one, I will be ordering this asap

    Double woo! Just put my order in. Excellent.
    Edited by 1 at 08/11/06 @ 09:26

  • Hog-lumps #6 5 years ago

    Nice!

    Shame there's no DS specific episode though!

    Out of interest, in Phoenix Wright 1 - was there much difference between english language contained on the japanese version and the localised american/european version? Was it simply a few grammatical/spelling corrections or was the localistion much better than that?

  • UncleLou #7 5 years ago

    As good as Gears of War then?

    I am pretty sure it's better, actually. :p

  • Der_tolle_Emil #8 5 years ago

    I am definetly getting this. The first one was great.

  • Talha #9 5 years ago

    @UncleLou: I wouldn't be so sure. Other sites are going absolutely bonkers over GoW. Granted most US sites find excuses to be giddy over anything, but lately GameSpot have improved quite a lot and they are still...bonkers.

  • jonchoo #10 5 years ago

    Great review for a great game. Case 4 was incredible.

    @Hog-Lumps, not that I know of. In GS1 there are a couple of spelling/grammatical mistakes too but nothing biggie. Translation was excellent. Same case with GS2.

  • dr_faulk #11 5 years ago

    Judging on how the review is written.... how could this have gotten 8? Reads more like a seven. But a good seven. (!?) I haveto say, though. GoW had 8/10 written all over it, judging from all the early impressions.

  • Kiigan #12 5 years ago

    I'm currently on case 4 now. Is it wrong that I want to live in a world with TV shows like "The Jammin Ninja" ?

  • [maven] #13 5 years ago

    It's still cheap at Play-Asia, so it'd be rude not to order it...
    /sees Christmas budget vanish...

  • ChrisS #14 5 years ago

    @Kiigan - You're right. There really aren't enough TV shows about ninjas who are too crap to be proper ninjas so they just play a massive red acoustic guitar surrounded by animals.

  • asphaltcowboy #15 5 years ago

    So when is it coming out over here then?

  • Genji #16 5 years ago

    Gears of War needs more lawyers in it.

  • cooper #17 5 years ago

    I'm definitely getting this asap. GoW can wait until it's re-released as a "classic"...

  • Tonka #18 5 years ago

    \o/
    How could I forgett about this title coming out?

  • Foundry #19 5 years ago

    Gears Of Law!

  • Genji #20 5 years ago

    Every game would be better if it was Phoenix Wright.

  • botherer #21 5 years ago

    I'm expecting over 400 comments on this review as well, I hope you realise.

    Er, Microsoft or Sony suck! (Depending upon which one you like best).

  • Genji #22 5 years ago

    The PS3 is having production problems because they haven't found enough baby souls to power the Bluray drives.

  • UncleLou #23 5 years ago

    @UncleLou: I wouldn't be so sure. Other sites are going absolutely bonkers over GoW. Granted most US sites find excuses to be giddy over anything, but lately GameSpot have improved quite a lot and they are still...bonkers.

    Heh, I was just messing. I'd buy GoW in a Heartbeat if I had a 360. I am a graphics whore, and I like shooting stuff, see. :)

  • HunterSeeker #24 5 years ago

    Judging on how the review is written.... how could this have gotten 8?
    Reads more like a nine. But a low nine. (!?) what the heck is this puctuation?

    Seriously, does the score really matter that much? if you aren't happy to see a game that got the same score as GoW, just know that there had been hundreds if not thousands of games on eurogamer that has gotten better than an 8. including GBA games on a 16mb cartridge.



    Edited by 1 at 08/11/06 @ 10:33

  • kissthestick #25 5 years ago

    first game was awesome, most def' buying this

    Maya & Pheonix Duo = Greatness!

  • ChrisS #26 5 years ago

    That's one for the GOW poster, isn't it?

    Eurogamer: "worse than thousands of other games". :)

  • Genji #27 5 years ago

    Grrr... there are too many reasonable people in this thread.

    Oh well.

    I'm just looking forward to meeting Gumshoe again. Um... he is in it, isn't he?

  • Hog-lumps #28 5 years ago

    I'm just looking forward to meeting Gumshoe again. Um... he is in it, isn't he?

    Yes, he is - it said so in the review!

    :)

  • botherer #29 5 years ago

    Tsk Genji, read the review.

  • Genji #30 5 years ago

    Oh.

    I must've just instinctively skipped right to the score.

    JUST LIKE THE PEOPLE IN THE GOW THREAD AM I RIGHT?

  • Genji #31 5 years ago

    Hey, do you know what would be a great spinoff to this?

    A Gumshoe game.

    I'm just imagining yelling "HOLD IT, PAL" into the microphone.

    /dreams

  • botherer #32 5 years ago

    A game where you'd have to mess up every case and have your pay docked to win? Yes!

  • djchump #33 5 years ago

    Phoenix Wright 2 is just as awesome as PW1.
    If you liked PW1, you'll like PW2.
    If you loved PW1, you'll love PW2.

    End of IMHO :-)

    Oh, and remember that in Japan this was a budget "best price" release - which justifies that they didn't add a 5th DS-only case as they did in PW1.

    And also remember that they're working on a DS-only Phoenix Wright lawyer type game (though apparently it will star a different rookie lawyer and not PW) ;-)

  • Hog-lumps #34 5 years ago

    Oh.

    I must've just instinctively skipped right to the score.

    JUST LIKE THE PEOPLE IN THE GOW THREAD AM I RIGHT?

    Heh! :)

    That thread is scary, don't understand why people get so wound up by a single review score - you'd think EG insulted their mothers or something!

  • djchump #35 5 years ago

    @Genji: there's a few detective type games coming - probably off the success of Phoenix Wright.

    Hotel Dusk: Room 215 might be close to a "gumshoe" game, though I've only seen promo screenshots so far ;-)

  • Hog-lumps #36 5 years ago

    So what happened to your other 'scientific' sidekick (whats her name?) from the bonus mission in PW1? Is she referenced at all in this game or is it as if she never existed?

  • botherer #37 5 years ago

    And I wish someone would hurry up and do a translated version of Project Hacker.

  • Hog-lumps #38 5 years ago

    Hotel Dusk: Room 215 might be close to a "gumshoe" game, though I've only seen promo screenshots so far ;-)

    I've seen the trailer for that game and it looks amazing! The 'sketchified' graphics look great in stills but when you see it in motion my jaw dropped! - think of Ahas 'take on me video' crossed with a crime thriller - simply brilliant!

  • Genji #39 5 years ago

    You could pretty easily do a prosecuting attorney game. Like one where you play as Edgeworth. You'd have to only prosecute bad people, though. Not like Edgeworth.

    Is Edgeworth in this, btw? Or is he just replaced wholesale by that girl with the whip.

  • Hog-lumps #40 5 years ago

    You could pretty easily do a prosecuting attorney game. Like one where you play as Edgeworth. You'd have to only prosecute bad people, though. Not like Edgeworth.

    True, but there's something more honourable about defending the inocent to me!

    Although thinking about it, Phoenix usually acts like a prosecutor during the second half of the trial when they find out who's the real suspect! Perhaps it would work then!

  • marc_si #41 5 years ago

    Must get this game - loved the first one :D

  • botherer #42 5 years ago

    Is Edgeworth in this, btw? Or is he just replaced wholesale by that girl with the whip.

    Mmmmpphhh mmpphhh mmmmmpphhh mmph mmmmpphhhhh!

  • UncleLou #43 5 years ago

    Speaking of bonus mission. Since I thought that was the best case in the first Phoenix Wright game will we be seeing one of those in the American/European release?

    I'd like to know that as well, I even dimly seem to remember PW2 would have a bonus case, or am I completely wrong?

  • abigsmurf #44 5 years ago

    Finished PW2 last night, stayed up till 3AM finishing that last case.

    Case 3 was ultra funny and was the highlight of the series so far. Case 4 was fairly epic going on for ages with loads of twists. Also worth noting that EVERY case had a hottie in it. Ms Andrews for the cute Samus Aran clone win

  • Genji #45 5 years ago

    Mmmmpphhh mmpphhh mmmmmpphhh mmph mmmmpphhhhh!

    WHAT WAS THAT I CAN'T HEAR YOU.

    (don't answer)
    Edited by 1 at 08/11/06 @ 11:23

  • Hog-lumps #46 5 years ago

    So how many of the GBA games have they got left to remake?

  • Azazel #47 5 years ago

    It must be very sad that I clicked this thread knowing exactly what the first comment would be.

    Arf.

  • Genji #48 5 years ago

    It's ok. We're (mostly) safe from the nasty GOW people in here.

    There aren't any explosions in PW2 for them to get attracted to.

  • djchump #49 5 years ago

    @disc and UncleLou:
    "Speaking of bonus mission. Since I thought that was the best case in the first Phoenix Wright game will we be seeing one of those in the American/European release?

    I was a bit annoyed to see that all these nice elements that they had implemented, like 3d examining of evidence and fingerprinting etc. was only in the last case."

    Like I said, this was a budget release - it's just a straight port of the 4 cases in the GBA version. PW1 was a full price game and they added the 5th DS-only case.

    They are working on a DS-only game. This will probably have all the cases using the DS specific stuff like the 3D objects, luminol, finerprinting etc. - also the graphics I've seen of it are *much* cleaner ad better animated than the ported GBA sprites ;-)

    Seriously, have a dig around for any screenshots of "Gyakuten Saiban 4" that you can find - that's the game you need to keep your eyes peeled for :-D
    Edited by 1 at 08/11/06 @ 11:55

  • jonchoo #50 5 years ago

    Basically:

    GS1 GBA remade into full price GS1 DS (PW:AA) with bonus case
    GS2 GBA remade into budget best price GS2 DS (PW:AA:JFA) with no bonus case
    GS3 GBA DS remake not announced - yet
    GS4 DS with new rookie lawyer

    Speaking of playing as a prosecutor, I do hope that one day we will see a GS game where we can play as a prosecutor. Maybe as Miles Edgeworth through his rookie years with both von Karmas as his tutor/partner.
    Edited by 1 at 08/11/06 @ 12:05

  • botherer #51 5 years ago

    Come on - we need ten times this many comments to beat silly old GoW!

  • ProfessorLesser #52 5 years ago

    Uh, not happy with the spoilers in this review, particularly in that screenshot.

    :-(

  • Genji #53 5 years ago

    "Come on - we need ten times this many comments to beat silly old GoW!"

    I'm trying my bloody best! Someone needs to go over and bait a few GOW fans from their thread.

    Or recruit albundy, who can keep trying to tell us that PW still counts as a "kiddy Nintendo game" because there isn't any swearing.

    He could hold a whole thread by himself.
    Edited by 2 at 08/11/06 @ 12:28

  • botherer #54 5 years ago

    There are no spoilers, Mr Worryface. The events depicted are all presented immediately after the tutorial, and my words are deliberately obfuscated and misleading. The grab to which I assume you're refering is also from the very beginning of the first proper story.

    Caallllm.

  • Kiigan #55 5 years ago

    In fact, to hell with the Videogaiden Shenmue campaign. We should have a campaign to make Phoenix the star of Gyakuten Saiben 4 instead of that new pretender. Also, Detective Gumshoe deserves a raise.

  • Kiigan #56 5 years ago

    PS I think Ms Von Karma is hot. But don't tell the missus.

  • Markusdragon #57 5 years ago

    I've been playing this for a few days now. It's great. Not as fresh as the original (which is understandable, what with it being a sequel), but easily as funny, if not funnier. And my biggest worry (that the gimmicky psyche-lock stuff would ruin the gameplay) has been completely dispelled. It's awesome. Wish I had time to complete it :p


    EDIT: @supermonkey: yes, go buy it. Now. Before you forget! :D
    Edited by 1 at 08/11/06 @ 12:33

  • botherer #58 5 years ago

    Good lord Supermonkey, read the sodding review!

  • Feanor #59 5 years ago

    "It must be very sad that I clicked this thread knowing exactly what the first comment would be."

    And which extreme 360 fanboy it would come from.
    Edited by 1 at 08/11/06 @ 14:11

  • Erinan #60 5 years ago

    Hahaha, the first comment made me laugh.

    Thanks for the review, guys ;) Keep up the good work! (yeah, I forgive you for the GW:Nightfall review)

    /buys on PlayAsia for £16

  • toy_brain #61 5 years ago

    For those of you disappointed at the lack of DS-specific extras in this game, take a wonder over to http://ww w.capcom.co.jp/gyakutensaiban/g... and click a few of the links. One of them shows screenshots of what looks to be a 3D crime-scene map, so I assume it will take far more advantage of the DS' slightly better hardware.

    Bit surprised they're going for 2 all-new main characters. My guess is they wanted characters that were friendlier/easier towards the English localisation, which Maya and her distinctly-Japanese-looking mystic relatives are not.

  • the_dudefather #62 5 years ago

    looking forward to getting this......and GOW

    highly tempting to import, as it will prob take ages to come out here
    Edited by 1 at 08/11/06 @ 16:03

  • smelly #63 5 years ago

    >I wouldn't be so sure. Other sites are going absolutely bonkers over GoW.

    Amazing how some people can just be won over by pretty pixels isnt it?

  • smelly #64 5 years ago

    Hang on.. WHAT? ONLY 8/10?

    It deserves at LEAST a 15/10.. GOW fanboys the lot of you...

  • Veldaban #65 5 years ago

    I really liked the first game, despite really disliking quite a few things about it too. The all-over-the-map and quick-to-grate wacky humor, the linear-storybook-like adventure section of the game, the paranormal aspects, the somewhat childish characters... sounds like I hated the game but I guess the game really was more than the sum of its parts because I did really enjoy it. Unfortunately, most of these things seem to have become more exaggerated in the sequel (and what's that in the screenshots, another case where you defend one of the main characters confessing to a murder but obviously not having done it?). Or is it not as bad as the review makes it out to seem?

    Now if only they did a Phoenix Wright style Agatha Christie game, now THAT would be great.

  • botherer #66 5 years ago

    It sounds like you didn't like everything that makes Phoenix Wright BEST EVA, and liked the rubbish court puzzles!

    I think you're going to loathe this one. The paranormal element is a much bigger deal this time, and it's far sillier than ever before. Which is why it's WONDERFUL. But why you'll probably want to give it a miss. Unless you can allow yourself to be won over my Maya's silly grin, and just fall in love with the madness.

  • James_Lyon #67 5 years ago

    I hereby nominate Walker for best strapline of the month. Order, indeed.

  • AOFanboi #68 5 years ago

    PW is frustrating in the sense that I am enjoying it (the first one) even realizing it's incredibly simple in terms of progress (railroad), animation (simple) and interactioin (limited). Despite that, the game makes you ant to play it... I'll probably get this one too.

  • bicky316 #69 5 years ago

    First one was Ace, never been so tempted to import a game in all my life!!!

  • Panicofbeliever #70 5 years ago

    Do I get to question a parrot? D :

  • ChimneyBug #71 5 years ago

    [link url=http://www.dulla han.com/IMG_2868.jpg
    ]http://www.dulla han.com/IMG_2868.jpg
    [/link]
    when I saw the tv screens with number 4 at TGS this year they all showed pheonix as you can see in that pic..

  • Reapergold #72 5 years ago

    /Kicks down the door of ex-girlfriends house and retreives the DS he loved and lost. Gos and imports.

  • captain-future #73 5 years ago

    Some jokes in the game are really really great. Although the first part is superior the popcultur reference and insider jokes really make this second game.

    Hope for 3 and 4 also!!