Phoenix Wright inks legal rep

The name Kazuya Maruyama may not ring a bell to most Western ears, but he's a household name in Japan. Maruyama, a celebrity lawyer, has been made famous thanks to popular talk shows, including one in which he helps the average citizen navigate the labyrinthine Japanese legal code.

It seems Capcom could hardly pick a better person to make the case for the Gyakuten Saiban series--the courtroom adventure franchise known as Phoenix Wright in North America and Europe--to Japanese customers. Maruyama will appear in advertisements this month for the Best Price! release of Gyakuten Saiban: Yomigaeru Gyakuten, according to Famitsu. Maruyama himself endorses the series.

"In Gyakuten Saiban, the player has to seek out the underlying psychology of the characters and find the inconsistencies in the witness's testimony," he said. "I think it's a very well-made game."

Indicating that Phoenix's case may not be closed, Maruyama is also under contract to promote other titles in the Phoenix Wright series, according to Famitsu.