Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney E3 2005 Preshow Report

When we first took a gander at Gyakuten Saiban, we were flabbergasted. Here's this over-the-top, anime-style adventure game for the Nintendo DS...in which you're a hotshot criminal defense attorney, committed to proving his clients' innocence by any means--any legal means. In a word, it's very Japanese. Therefore, we were overjoyed when Capcom announced that Gyakuten Saiban would be heading to North American shores earlier this year. Now emblazoned with a bold, new title--Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney--the game is being shown off at Capcom's pre-E3 event in Los Angeles. It's certainly one of the most unusual games in Capcom's lineup, and probably in all of E3. We want it bad.

As Phoenix Wright, players will get to conduct operations in a manner reminiscent of the hit show, Law & Order, due to the game's structure, which is split up into an investigation phase and a court phase. During investigations, you'll dig through the scene of the crime, have a little chat with any witnesses, and try to dig up any other clues and evidence that could be admissible in the court of law. Then it's court time, where you'll get to put witnesses before the jury and question them, hear out their testimonies, and present evidence to support your client. Capcom isn't getting specific about the plot of the game for fairly obvious reasons, though it confirms that Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney will be split up into five distinct cases, which will challenge your deductive reasoning skills as well as your ability to compel a jury into seeing things your way.

In addition to Mr. Wright himself, the cast of characters will include Maya, a girl psychic, who is a source and confidant of Phoenix Wright's, and Mia Fey, Phoenix's mentor, who is knowledgeable about all the ins and outs of the courtroom. But then there's Miles Edgeworth, a talented prosecutor and the equivalent of Phoenix's "evil" counterpart. Miles is undefeated...can Phoenix really take him?

Pictures say a lot more than words about this promising DS title, so be sure to check out all the screenshots. Know, though, that the game will take advantage of the DS's unique design. So if ever you've wanted to shout, "Objection!" soon you'll have your opportunity when squaring off against Miles' dirty courtroom tactics. We hope to bring you more on Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney after just a brief recess.