Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Objection! This single word can bring a smile to the faces of game fans, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is to thank for it. Capcom originally released the game in Japan back in 2001 for the Game Boy Advance, but the real breakthrough came with the Nintendo DS version from 2005, which reached the West and unleashed an avalanche of popularity. It's a courtroom drama in interactive form, where the player becomes a rookie defense attorney fighting for his clients' innocence.

The game divides into two phases. In the investigative one you examine crime scenes, talk to witnesses, and gather evidence. The real tension, however, comes in the courtroom, where witnesses testify and your task is to find contradictions in their claims. When you notice that testimony doesn't match evidence in your case file, you raise that famous Objection and present the incriminating piece of paper. But the wrong evidence at the wrong moment costs you the judge's patience, so it's a game of attention and logic.

The series' magic lies in the writing. The cases are full of absurd humor, eccentric characters, and surprising twists, yet they can also be tense to the point of held breath. The gallery of figures, from the domineering prosecutor to eccentric witnesses, sears itself into memory, and the final entry of the original trilogy ranks among the most-cited moments of game storytelling ever.

Compared to the original GBA game, the DS version added a fifth, entirely new case that used specific functions of the console: in it the player examines evidence in 3D, uncovers clues by blowing into the microphone, and uses the touchscreen. These elements helped the game stand out on the new platform and gave even veterans a reason to buy it again.

Phoenix Wright kicked off the extensive and still-living Ace Attorney series with many sequels, spin-offs, and collector's collections. It proved that the genre of the visual novel and detective logic can entertain a mass audience, and it became one of the symbols of what the DS was: a console on which even unconventional, text-driven games succeeded. For lovers of stories it's a must.

Why play: A funny yet tense courtroom drama where you hunt for contradictions in testimonies and shout the famous Objection. The start of the cult Ace Attorney series with a bonus case for the DS.