Phoenix Wright returns to DS

Phoenix Wright is heading back to court on the Nintendo DS at the beginning of next year, according to Capcom, in a game which will feature four new cases, new characters and a few new additions to the gameplay too.

Resuming the role of the young defence attorney trying to prove his client's innocence, Justice For All will see the return of psychic ally Maya Fey, who now has perfectly honed psychic powers with which to support Phoenix during the trials.

Bent on avenging her father by taking Phoenix down in any way possible, new District Attorney and powerful adversary Franziska von Karma will be on hand to make life as difficult as possible, and there's another new addition in Pearl Fey - a psychic wannabe and cousin of Maya Fey.

Gameplay will be split into two sections; the investigation phase will see you surveying crime scenes, interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence, before heading into court to present your case and scream OBJECTION! at every given opportunity.

One of the new features is the witness Psyche-Lock, which challenges you to weed out the truth from less than honest witnesses by posing a series of questions or catching them out on inconsistent testimonies.

There's also a new health meter for the court section, which represents Phoenix’s status and plummets when you present incorrect evidence or follow misguided attempts to break Psyche-Locks. The only way to regain a positive health bar is to focus, think hard and fast and successfully open a witness’s Psyche-Lock to dig out the truth.

Capcom is planning to launch Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All in North America during the first quarter of 2007. There's no confirmation on a European release date as yet, but watch this space.