Skip to main content

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy brings some 3DS classics back to their rightful home

Definitive proof of the Wright stuff.

Character montage art of Apollo Justice and co for Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy
Image credit: Capcom

The day the 3DS and WiiU eShop closed was a bitter one for me. For ages I'd been hovering over the trigger for Ace Attorney 5 and 6 (or Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice, to give them their full titles), hoping they'd go on a decent sale, only to miss them altogether when the eShop closed.

I had previously played Ace Attorney 4 (Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney), which was released in Europe in 2008 on the DS, but I missed out on the other two in the trilogy. Both were released on 3DS, in 2013 and 2016 respectively, but I didn't get a 3DS until it was too late. By that time, it wasn't easy to buy a physical copy of Dual Destinies easily, and Spirit of Justice was only available digitally outside of Japan. The two have been made available on mobile at different times over the years, but with the closure of the eShop, there went my dreams of being able to legally own and play the rest of the Ace Attorney series in their rightful homes on console.

Enter Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy, another collection from Capcom which bundles together Ace Attorney 4, 5, and 6. I've been looking forward to it since its announcement, and now that I've been able to play it I can say my excitement was well-placed. I'm thrilled to see the lesser celebrated games in a series I love getting the treatment they deserve - resurrected, revamped, and ram-packed with bonus goodies. It's a golden standard for what I think a remaster should be and everything a fan could hope for.

Gameplay-wise, at least for Apollo Justice, everything here remains mostly the same, barring a few 3DS-specific gimmicks. If you enjoyed things like blowing into the microphone to remove excess fingerprint dust, you'll be sad to hear it's been replaced with a simple button press in the trilogy. Thankfully, however, the script for Dual Destinies is the same one from the mobile version, which cleaned up the messy English localisation of the original release.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy's trailerWatch on YouTube

Where Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy really shines is in its modernisation and small but impactful usability improvements. Apollo Justice has been given a number of features which later games introduced, including the option to see a recent history of dialogue (something I wish all developers would put in their visual novels), and episode and chapter selection which allow you to jump into cases from specific points.

However, Capcom has gone one step further and added what's possibly my favourite feature now - the option to hide the UI. By pressing ZL on Switch, the text box completely disappears, letting you look at the background. More importantly, if a character is in shot they'll continue to loop in their animation, letting you get a good look at it unimpeded. This is the first time this has been possible in the games, and the absence of the feature until now is why fan sites like court-records.net exist. Now, you can marvel at the witnesses sweating bullets when you rip into their testimonies (or the protagonists, as things appear to be going south for their case).

Apollo Justice Trilogy screenshot showing a female character pointing to a document in court
Apollo Justice Trilogy screenshot showing Apollo Justice looking stressed in court
Apollo Justice Trilogy screenshot showing a character in a top hat saying "Don't cry, Apollo!"
Image credit: Capcom/Eurogamer

Capcom clearly knows what fans want, as its added an Animation Studio feature which allows you to play different animations on different artwork. You can't seem to go fully off the rails, as not every background can be used with every character, but this is hardly a problem for fans who are willing to go the extra mile with their creativity. Capcom has provided green, blue, and black screens for anyone who wants to flex their video editing skills.

Animations from each of the games included in the trilogy are available, along with any alternative character outfits. You can add any of the defence counsel or prosecutors shouting "Objection!", which splashes the iconic speech bubble onto the screen. There's so much variety in what you can put together and therefore so much potential for fans to go wild. I can already imagine the skits that people will be making and sharing on YouTube and TikTok.

For players who'd rather sit back and take the games in, Autoplay Mode and Story Mode both return from The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. Autoplay Mode automatically advances the text, and, in addition to that, Story Mode automatically solves the puzzles. I've found Story Mode really useful for moments when I'm not sure which exact piece of evidence I need to present during witness testimonies and I'm too lazy to exhaust all my options or look up a walkthrough. In future, I can see myself using it to revisit the games to experience the story again in a cinematic way. I've used the anime adaptation to do this before for the first three games, but that doesn't make for quite as nostalgic viewing.

Apollo Justice Trilogy screenshot showing Apollo Justice looking affronted in court
Apollo Justice Trilogy screenshot showing Apollo Justice in court in front of a green screen background
Apollo Justice Trilogy screenshot showing Apollo Justice looking embarrassed in court
Image credit: Capcom/Eurogamer

Having (admittedly) spent a lot of time poking around the Animation Studio, I've come to appreciate the higher resolution artwork used in Apollo Justice as it makes the character animations look much smoother than I remember. Personally, I was never a fan of the 3D style adopted for Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice, but the dramatic and over-the-top nature of animations has been drawn out well.

So far, I've been replaying through Apollo Justice since it's been so long since I last played it. I'm falling in love with the characters all over again as they navigate the twists and turns of each case. Unfortunately this also meant I re-encountered Director Hotti, or Hickfield/whichever clinic he now resides at in canon, and I had to sit through him creeping on teenage Trucy Wright. This was really a cameo I could have done without, but there's no massive revisions to be expected within the remastered collection. Instead, Capcom opts for a disclaimer on launch: "Some of the contents of the games in this collection are presented as initially released to preserve the games as originally created."

In a way, I think that's both the best thing Capcom could offer, and the least it should offer with Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy. With access to the original so difficult and expensive today now the eShop is no more (especially Spirit of Justice), and mobile app stores so famously flaky for delisting games or dropping support on older phones, I'm glad to see them accessible on contemporary platforms. At the same time, access to these games is something which should have always been available, and Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is as much a reminder of the infamous state of game preservation as it is a solution to it.

Apollo Justice Trilogy screenshot showing a female character looking to the chamera with the image of an orange
Apollo Justice Trilogy screenshot showing a character in a beany looking nonchalant
Image credit: Capcom/Eurogamer

There will undoubtedly be people who were introduced to Ace Attorney through the Phoenix Wright trilogy or The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles and fans who'd like to own the later games in the series on modern consoles, and for those people Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy, with its updated UI and graphics, user-friendly tweaks and inclusion DLC is in many ways the complete package.

For me, a person who is wholeheartedly a hardcore Ace Attorney fan, this collection is magical. The draw of being able to see character animations clearly during the game is a delight. The Animation Studio gives fans the resources to make edits on a scale which wasn't really possible before, and far more easily with the 3D models from Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice. It's pure fan service, endless fun, and a feature I wish was included in the previous collections.

Most important of all, more Ace Attorney games are now available to fans and future generations to discover. (Even more importantly to me, it gives me renewed hope for a remaster collection of the Ace Attorney Investigations games next. Although if it doesn't include an easy way to extract models of Edgeworth running to use in edits, I'm taking Capcom to court.)

A copy of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy was provided by Capcom.

Read this next

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com