Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

A long game coupled with the fact that it's incredibly immersive and addicting; excellent storylines really keep you playing.

With hilariously well-written dialog, brilliant court cases, DS-specific features, pulse-pounding drama, catchy and moody music, and four cases, you will not want to miss this game.

To put it simply, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney takes everything that works about the Phoenix Wright series and then adds more. Longtime fans of the lawyer series will not be disappointed with the newest installment, but there’s so much fresh content that newcomers can jump right in and not feel overwhelmed by the game’s history.

All in all, if you've followed the series, there's no point in stopping now. Capcom has the formula down by this point, and they will only improve upon it as time passes.

As much as I adore the gameplay, the story is by far the best reason to take this case. [Apr 2008, p.81]

Quotation forthcoming. [June 2008]

The localization team at Capcom should be commended for writing dialogue that is genuinely funny. Basically, if you're a fan of the earlier Phoenix Wright games, you will laugh...a lot. Couple the comedy with Justice's engrossing story and you have a case that would be criminal not to take.

Fans of Phoenix Wright can rest assured that Apollo Justice more the lives up to the role as an Ace Attorney.

It's more of the same, then, but it's great.

Apollo Justice carries on the addictive game play of its predecessors. It is suited well to those who enjoy watching the many different crime and courtroom shows that are so popular on television these days, and also to those who enjoy a good story-based game that requires concentration and awareness.

Surprisingly ace. [Issue#21, p.80]

Apollo Justice surprised us. This may just be yet another of Capcom’s infamous rehashes, but it’s so much more enjoyable than most that it’s extremely hard to ignore.

Despite what may be setbacks with the lack of true blue changes to the graphics and sound, Apollo Justice looks to be everything the Phoenix Wright trilogy was and more.

A worthy successor to the Phoenix Wright series, even if the first outing seems a little too eager to hold on to the characters from its predecessor.

As great as it is, we can't believe we've waited two years for this. [June 2008, p.80]

If it's engaging storytelling on a handheld scale you're after, Apollo Justice serves up another ace for Capcom’s line of courtroom sims.

With that said, the latest Ace Attorney game is an excellent continuation of the series, featuring more compelling mysteries to unravel and lots of memorable characters. [Mar 2008, p.86]

Apollo Justice delivers the same winning formula we've come to expect, throws in some refreshing new twists, and leaves us satisfied yet still eager to see where the story will go.

It’s funny, unique, and breaks up the text scrolling with more varied activities. Even so, Apollo still has room to grow, and I’m looking forward to seeing what case he takes next.

Apollo Justice delivers an evolved version of the Phoenix Wright titles, but the overall experience has been shortened dramatically.

The new DS-centric controls add a lot to the formula, though some other cool new features, such as forensic videos, are too sparsely used.

The only severe flaw is that it ends too soon with only four cases and no option to download new ones. Still, it's a legal champion.

While it may seem like Capcom's diving back into the well of a successful franchise, Apollo Justice is the first Ace Attorney game built from the ground up for the DS, and it succeeds in delivering just enough legal shenanigans that are serious enough--and silly enough--to entice both fans and rookies alike.

It's filled to the brim with brilliant ideas, and then barely uses them.

Overall, though, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney has enough refreshing content and "legal good times" to keep you happily satisfied, with its well-integrated storyline, characters and touch-screen tools.

Since Apollo's adventure builds upon the Phoenix Wright trilogy and the original remains the best, playing the Ace Attorney series in order remains my recommendation.

Apollo Justice is a likeable guy (because he is just a carbon copy of Phoenix Wright, to be honest) and even four games into the series, this still remains fresh, thanks to the clever writing and plots.

A great entry point for novice attorneys, thanks to a new cast of vibrant characters.

Not exactly the dazzling reinvention we hoped for, but Apollo Justice more than holds his own. [May 2008, p.55]

Not the leap in features we'd hoped for, but a fantastic debut for Justice nontheless. [May 2008, p.72]

However, the sharp writing skills shine through once more, with a script full of intrigue, humour and mystery.

Even though it still relies on a lot of the tried and true mechanics of the Phoenix Right-titles, Apollo Justice manages to add enough new DS-related features to keep this package feeling fresh while adding a great and engaging storyline to the mix. This is the best offering so far for newcomers, and fans of the Phoenix Wright titles are going to appreciate the improvements to the formula.

Although the game has been made especially for the DS, not enough DS specific gameplay elements have been put into the game.

Phoenix Wright fans who loved the past games and want nothing more than another docket of crazy cases to tackle will no doubt love Apollo Justice. It's a solid distillation of the franchise formula and if you haven't yet had your fill, I wholly recommend the game, because you will no doubt enjoy it. But I personally couldn't get over how derivative the game felt.

The latest chapter in the Ace Attorney series comes with fresh characters and an absorbing plot—as well as all the same old objections.

Fans of the previous Ace Attorney games will appreciate the new touch-screen mechanics and improved presentation, but these changes don't do much to spice up the series' often slow and tedious pacing.

As much fun as Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is, it's just not the big leap forward that the series should have taken, as a number of little niggles conspire to lower the score slightly.

Had Capcom pout a little more effort into overhauling the gameplay and graphics, while also preserving the magic of the original cast, Apollo Justice would have been more than just another sequel. [May 2008, p.116]

Despite these small problems, however, this is still essential playing for long-time fans, and for new entrants: buy this game, play it, and then get the others.

Despite the mounting criticism, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is a decent enough game in its own right, and fans of the series can expect much of what they enjoyed in previous offerings.

Another solid entry, but the series probably needed more then solid. Weaker characters are offset by new novelties, but it will still be worth a go for fans of the idea.

Apollo Justice, while staying true to an original, winning formula, has some pitfalls that prevents me from recommending it to people not familiar with the series.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is not a typical DS game. However, those gamers who also enjoying burning away the hours with a good book will find plenty to like in this courtroom drama.

Yes, Justice’s new shriek adds a new trick to his repertoire, but besides this and a few new touchscreen forensic gizmos, this there is little change from the GBA ports. [Apr 2008, p.95]

Melodrama isn't enough to carry Apollo Justice, a game that feels considerably more weighed down by dialogue and little actual gameplay to speak of than its predecessors.

Phoenix Wright: You still have a lot to learn, kid. If you’re going to make it in this world, you have to pave your own path.