And how fantastic is this news?  Alexander O. Smith's coming back for the localization of AJ!  From the Ace Attorney Developer's Blog:

"After working with us on the first Ace Attorney game, he was quick to accept our request to translate Apollo Justice.  I remember at the first meeting, where we made the initial request, how excited he was to jump right into the project.  It was written all over his face.  I told him how much I looked forward to working with him and how I couldn't wait to see what shape the English version would take.  It is thanks to beautiful writing of this incredibly nice guy that the English version of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney was born."  -Minae Matsukawa

So, my sister tells me she just got e-mail notification that the Apollo she ordered through Capcom got back-ordered. Given that some Trials & Tribulations back-order victims gave horror stories of months-long delays, she's less than thrilled.

Two things get me about this.

1. Why, if faced with demand outstripping supply, would Capcom turn those who made their purchase DIRECTLY THROUGH THEM into secondary considerations? Why not honor their orders first, and let the national chains fight over the rest?

2. She feels betrayed because Capcom apparently told would-be preorder-ers that they would increase production to meet demand after the aforementioned T&T debacle. But doesn't Nintendo have final say in how many copies of a game a publisher can release? The cynic in me wonders, did Nintendo have a hand in limiting Apollo production in order to shift attention toward the more-plentiful Layton?

Ultimately, it's a moot point for me, since I was first preorder at my local shop and as long as they get one, I'm golden. But the whole thing kinda leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.

It is bewildering that Capcom's repeating its T&T mistake....... unless orders for Apollo are just that through the roof?    Part of me wishes for that, but another part feels for those who are getting burned on their preorders - especially if it's a matter of shorted supply.   How far back did your sister place her order, by the way?

I'm picking up at the store myself.  Especially for an Ace Attorney game, I know I'd be heartbroken if my preorder suddenly fell through at the last minute.  (I've gotten way too used to enjoying the comfort of abundant Japanese import copies available with the last two games that securing a copy first day was a piece of cake.) 

*crosses fingers for the both of us that our stores will get our copies in next week*

According to her, she was "among the first 800 or so." I don't know firsthand if that's something Capcom told her, but she seemed pretty sure.

LoL, Phoenix is the new Solid Snake...and Apollo is Raiden?

Yeah, from what I heard from importers, the new cast doesn't come close to the old one. They were also disappointed at the lack of references to the old cast.:(

Still, I'll pick it up after I finish Professor Layton. I really liked the DS exclusive case in PW1, so I'm all up for more finger printing fun.

I've heard the same, but (spoiler mode on) Capcom has revealed that most of the cast not returning in Ace Attorney 4 are going to be in Ace Attorney 5, Maya and Franziska in particular. The new art for these is wonderful.

Still, I'm willing to let these new characters have time to grow. Replaying PW1 I found the Phoenix of Cases 1 & 2 was kind of plain vanilla compared to later games, and I've found most of the people complaining about AJ didn't enjoy Case 5 of PW1, which is one of my favorites. So.

Is this from that supposed Shu Takumi exclusive interview?  I had only heard that was a rumor, but did that write-up prove to be true?

And..... there's actual artwork released for GS5??  Got a linkie?  :)

Is it this week Apollo Justice is released or have I got my dates wrong? When I finished PW3, waiting for this seemed like an age away but it has crept up quite quickly.

It's supposed to be released today, so I'll start calling places in about half an hour to find out where I should lurk. 'Cause I'm crazy-obsessed with the AA series like that.

Oooh! Just got shipping notification! Too late to get here by the weekend unfortunately but I am so hyped. This game has been a long time coming. I hate to think what it must have been like for the Japanese who had already played 1-3 on the GBA and have been waiting ever since for 4. Well, I mean for when it was released in Japan. Which was a while back.

Picked up mine today.  I was surprised to learn that I was getting a logo keychain with the game.  Yay swag.  I put the card into the DS to make sure it works, but I probably won't be playing this anytime soon since I still have to finish AA2 and AA3 first.

Was able to score the preorder keychain, too.  Yay for swag indeed.  ^_^

Just polished off the first case.  Boy, was it lengthy; much longer and certainly more involved than any of the previous games' Case Ones.  And there's some pretty deceptive twists and contradictions to point out from the get-go; you'd think nothing would surprise you at this point in the series, but...... just wait for it.  Despite his position, Phoenix is definitely the one pulling the strings here.  I can sort of see the Metal Gear Solid 2 comparison now, as his character and significance is strengthened even further when seen through the eyes of a different protagonist.  So far, I think them going this route was a good choice..... but, we'll have to see how it'll all piece together by the end.

The localization so far has been superb, an obvious repercussion from Alex Smith's hand.  Unlike the past two games, I don't think I spotted any pop cultural references whatsoever.  Much as I enjoyed some of those clever citations, I did feel that they were, at times, a substituted crutch for good, original writing.  Smith's approach, like in the first Phoenix Wright, will likely go towards creating a more timeless piece of work.  I did, however, count just one spelling typo, and it's unfortunate that it was on the one word used most in the series: "Court."  They missed the "u." 

The aesthetic side demands attention, too. Preview shots obviously showcase the new changes, but it's gotta be said; the graphics have gotten a tremendously sleek overhaul.  The redrawn, higher resolution backgrounds, especially with a familiar setting like the courtroom, make me draw this comparison: If playing the first three games were like watching analog TV, then the new game is like watching in high-def.  The character sprites appear larger and more crisp as well.

And the audio.  Those who've listened to the OST shouldn't be surprised by the clarity of the newly-composed music, but hearing the score piping out of the DS is even more remarkable.  It drives the point home that the CD release wasn't enhanced - this is all in-game, and certainly the real deal.  By the way, I stand corrected; it turns out that they do use the original "Suspense" theme after all. (And for you long-time fans, you'll be delighted to hear another PW1 piece making a return.  ^_^)  The sound effects are a mixed bag of revamped and rehashed.  Only acute listeners wearing headphones will likely notice, but for instance, the new menu selection and text-scrolling sounds have been redone, while other sound effects like the 'flesh-wound hit' and desk-pounding have remained unchanged.  This does create a slight inconsistency in the soundscape; nothing that hurts the game, but a bit of a disappointment, since one was thinking that Capcom was planning on building Apollo from the ground up. 

Other notes in passing: Yes, you no longer get to present character profiles normally, save for choice moments.  This does seem to simplify things a bit, but given the complexity of the first case, it might actually balance out that way.  Getting to examine the court record's evidence via 3D models, a la PW1's Case Five is a welcomed-back feature - and is actually a necessity to progress through one part of a testimony.  It's also fun when Apollo quips or comments when examining certain pieces of evidence.  And, since they apparently did away with the Psyche-Locks, your life meter automatically refills after every recess.

So far, so very good.  The first case doesn't disappoint in the least, and Apollo has already become just as likeable as Phoenix in the early games.  If I may borrow a quote from Phoenix himself: "Ah, just looking at you reminds me of the old days.  Not the good old days, per se."

Closed the book on Case Two.  It's good, but I'd rank it as the weakest Case Two of the four games.   I obviously won't get into the story specifics, but you, like me, will demand to have a certain unexplained plot hole at the end explained.  (EDIT: After reading up on Court Record's description of the case, I suppose it makes sense after all.  Never mind, then.)

Here are a few more general observations thus far:

They really toned down the investigation phases.  In the prior games, you can present almost any piece of relevant evidence to people to elicit an appropriate response.   Here, they pretty much stripped this down to the absolute bare essentials; unless it's absolutely crucial to the topic at hand, you're going to get the "Sorry, I don't think I can help you with that" routine.  On top of the lack of Profiles to present, it's disappointing that they would dumb down this aspect of the game, thereby making it a much less immersive experience.

Maybe it's just me, but it sounds like the "Pursuit ~ Cornered 2007" theme is engineered a bit on the low side - its volume appears to be set lower than the rest of the in-game music, and the sound effects and shouts of "Objection!" suddenly dominate the music when it plays.  Disappointing, since it's such a rad track.  And it is a Cornered theme, after all -- it's MEANT to be played loud.  And, alas, there really is no 'Variation' version this time -- unless you count the brief new orchestral hit intro that isn't featured on the OST.

Smith is still the master at writing puns, as well as striking that perfect balance between dry and clever wit.  Apollo's inner monologues are right up there with Phoenix's from the first game, and there's nary a throwaway response to be seen. It really is too bad this doesn't extend to more presentable evidence and Profiles.  Oh, and you'll also get a healthy fill of new hair jokes too. :)

No end-of-episode case art to be unlocked this time; just the boring background image of the courtroom, like the first game's Case Five.  Booooo.

The new 3D mock-ups of the crime scenes are a nice supplement to the usual "Killer"/"Victim" colored dots presentation.  Maybe a bit superfluous, but still appreciated.   

I actually miss having the Psyche-Locks.  I'm anticipating them to pop up during conversations with witnesses...... but they don't.  o_O

Klavier's "desk bang" is way cool.  Apollo's stunned expression is hilarious.  And the Judge still has a beard.   

"Case Three, here comes Justice!"

Getting the game tomorrow. It took me a while to get psyched about the game, and honestly, I still can't get over how much Apollo himself looks like a complete knob, but I am really wanting to see what's going on with Phoenix, whom I hear is a major character.

I just read these posts and then watched some gameplay vids online. So. Much. Text.

I'm still making my way through Justice for All, clearly savoring this series. After the weakish third case, the four case is really grabbing my attention.

AJ's Case Three was very, very good, though somewhat unconventional as far as Case Threes go.  Unlike the Case Threes of the past, which often bordered on lightheartedness, this one is pretty gritty and serious.  It also comes equipped with a good amount of "Things you were previously lead to believe all get turned on their heads" moments - great moments, indeed.  Oh, and there's one discovery sequence that will almost guarantee you to initially go, "Holy shit....." due to its visual punch.  *_*

This case is also where we get to see Klavier shine, whom I'm really liking as both a character and prosecutor.  Unlike the over-the-top prosecutors of past games, where they were always on a constant mission to berate and run down Phoenix (they weren't exactly respectful to witnesses and the Judge, either), Klavier keeps it civil.  He still makes a formidable rival, but the guy's got integrity.... and a genuine desire to find the truth.  Honestly, when I heard about the whole prosecutor/rock god angle, I thought it was questionable and hokey.  But Case Three justifies that angle pretty well.

Ah, and I caught just ONE pop culture reference so far; it's pretty subtle and slyly integrated, but there's no mistaking what it is. :)

Achtung, baby!

I'm midway through Case 2...and so far, so good. It's still early, but I'm liking Trucy more than Maya.  And playing as Apollo wasn't a let down like I thought it'd be. I just wish he looked a little older. Phoenix is pretty cool as a mentor, too. I want his beanie, stat!

I do agree that the game has been streamlined. I had a lot of fun presenting every piece of evidence and profile to see what kind of response I'd get. Oh well...

My copy has been sitting in work since Friday but I haven't been there. It's now 7.05am and, for one of the first times in a good while, I'm itching to get into work.

Edit: And now I'm here, justice prevails!

Finished Case Four, thereby completing the game.  I will say this: you've never quite played Ace Attorney like Case Four.  It's a very bold and fascinating way of telling the story, and in my opinion, wraps up the seven year Phoenix story arch with excellent efficiency.  The implications of the ending, and where the series can go at this point, is the most intriguing part of the entire game.  Will they really continue on with Apollo's story?  How will the proposed "new system" impact the way future games play out?  With the resolutions at hand, one is lead to wonder just who and who isn't going to be coming back.

You're going to notice something very quickly: the game is SERIOUS.  Deadly serious, in some regards.  Not that it's devoid of humor, but the structure and mood of the game feels like one big thriller, with few situations allowing for genuine laugh out loud moments.  The humor is more derivative of Smith's clever wit and character responses; a good chuckle every now and again, but nowhere near the wacky, over-the-top grabs of the last three games.  It's the characters, too; they're more grounded in reality. (At least, as far as 'reality' can readily be defined in the Phoenix Wright universe.)  Grounded in the sense that even spirit-channeling sounds like some absurd piece of far-out fiction that never belonged in this game's world to begin with.

The Perceive system is interesting in concept, but fairly underused as a gameplay element.  The same goes for the whole forensics science investigation stuff, which differs very little from PW1's Case Five.  I did, however, enjoy the use of the mixer in Case Three; that was admittedly very cool.

Where does Apollo Justice rank in the series for me?  Squarely third, after PW3 and PW1, and before PW2.  Capcom gets kudos for putting some new spins on an old formula, as well as weaving another engaging entry in this amazing story series.  The game still manages to surprise even a veteran fan like myself, and that counts for a lot.

God, you're quick (Edit: Or maybe I'm just slow?). Only been out for, what, a few days here in Calgary (as far as I know, anyways), and I'm still interrogating Orly (maybe a reference to the O RLY meme, with the owl?).  http://www.o--rly.com/owl_orly.png

Still think Apollo is a knob (he looks so much like Dan Hibiki that I just can't for the life of me take him seriously), but he's genuinely fun to watch. And his mentor is just several kinds of cool.

Yeah, I know my take is limited, but it's almost like a whole new world now that Phoenix is gone (I miss him immensely), and I'm just itching to know what happened to him.

E-Capcom is going to sell that actually, starting from this March.

http://www.capcomshop.jp/shop/goods/goo … 9908033102

OK, I'm nearly done with the game, entering the final day in court. My review at this point is generally positive except for one mild irritant, and one ENORMOUS issue.

OK, first the good. The plotting is fantastic, the characters more endearing than the internet would have one believe, and the soundtrack's probably the best overall since the first DS entry. I love the Perceive system, and the touch-screen features are awesome. I miss some of the old characters, sure, but Capcom has pulled off their re-invention better than I'd anticipated.

Now, the complaints. First the little one: I'm going to go ahead and award the Most Excessive Use of, and Reference to Panties Award for 2008 to Case 2, and hope to God no other game this year contends for the title. Still, not a big deal.

My ENORMOUS complaint can be summed up in one word: MASON.

I greatly appreciated the streamlining of the Investigation segments, and was glad to be rid of the Psyche-Lock business seemingly once and for all (for me, it had seriously worn out its welcome by the end of Tribulations). Let me say that I completely loved Case 4 up to this point. It was clever, unsettling, and bittersweet, and the retro trial was a beautiful little nostalgic bomb. But instead of returning me to the field with the horse I rode in on, here I am using a computer to go time-skipping around with Phoenix for a f---ing MULTI-HOUR PSYCHE-LOCK MARATHON. I swear it's designed to make me hate the guy.

Granted, it's a neat concept, mainly in giving the player a chance to get to know certain victims better without leaning on spirit channeling, and the scenes with young Trucy and Mike Meekins are fun. But from a story-telling perspective, it not only divorces me from the cast I'm supposed to be growing accustomed to but makes no chronological sense whatsoever. When I have to use evidence obtained in the present day to break open Psyche-Locks of people from seven years ago, thereby getting evidence to show the guy who died only a few months ago, your narrative has some serious problems. Compared to this, ghost cats explaining half the plot to Chrono Cross in the last minutes before the final boss doesn't seem so bad.

I still love the game, really. I fully expect to have a good time in this final trial. But it's ironic in a sense that a game largely about perception would be nearly undone by Capcom losing focus for the sake of fanservice.

EDIT: Two things I nearly forgot to mention.

1. I'm amused by the idea of a stamp still costing 41 cents in 2017, and
2. Klavier's air guitar animation is the awesomest thing EVER.
OK, I'm done now.

Now see, I really liked this part, because, well...... I actually did miss the Psyche-Locks. I do agree about the paradox of presenting evidence from the present to the past -- but the concept seems more feasible if you view the whole thing as a "simulation."  That the Mason system was a collective tool for the players themselves, gaining information through Phoenix's perception of the truth, regardless of time and place.  That's what made the fragmented narrative work, I thought. 

1. You caught that too, eh?  Think we could send this as a subtle hint to USPS?  ;)
2. Even better than Eldoon's MAD HARMONICA SKILLZ??

I just finished the game, and it was a very good game.  I was pleasantly surprised to see Alexander O. Smith on the translation team.

I didn't like the introduction of a new user interface in the last case, primarily because it broke the story pacing a bit, but it makes sens within the story.

Apollo's new power is certainly more challenging to use than the Psychlock system, although they don't use it very much.

The ending certainly will make me wonder how Capcom will write future stories in the series.

I've just finished this too and pretty much avoided this thread while playing (and anything else on the game) so I'm just reading these fresh now. For me, I really enjoyed playing it. I would agree with Angela's ranking (behind 3 and 1, ahead of 2).

As I'm Negative Nelly, or whatever it was, I'll get my big negatives out of the way first. Given that this was the first AA game designed for the DS, the first new game since maybe 2004, I was disappointed to see almost no progression. In fact, I'm with you Angela on the Profile presenting and Psyche-Locks so I actually felt this game a step backwards. And it felt plain lazy to me that responses to presenting stuff were so limited. The Investigation parts always felt weak to me in the PW games. In my opinion, the game really needed something like the Psyche-Locks and a lot of good responses to keep those interesting.

I found the investigation parts of Episode 3 a real chore and painfully dull.

There was the Perceive system, which was nice but it's not the trial parts that needed that extra attention and it was so limited in use it didn't really feel like an actual addition.

While the game got a lick of paint and some of the animations were stunning (Klavier's slam and guitar in particular), I would liked to have seen this go even further. There's no doubting the ability of their artists and it would have been just lovely to have put a bit more actual animation in there. On that though, I was disappointed during the flashback sequences that they didn't touch up or completely reanimate Phoenix himself. Against the amazing looking young Klavier, he looked a bit crappy.

In general, I just would liked to have seen much more of a series progression. And with a new system and new set of characters this would have been the perfect game to bring the series forward. That's my main negative done.

What was here, in general, I really enjoyed. I was so glad that Case 1 was a bit more meaty and I thought it was an great introduction to the new cast. Oddly, unlike Angela, I really liked Case 2 and wasn't a big fan of Case 3 (mostly because of the investigation parts). I think it was the characters that drew me to Case 2, especially the noodle guy. And, yes, his harmonica animation was excellent.

Case 4 was long but it had me hooked. And while I thought the computer device maybe wasn't needed, what it amounted to and the way the information came together in that section kept it really interesting for me. The way the cases came together was all a bit neat admittedly, but I loved it and getting those final pieces to fall into place in that section had me actually excited. I thought it worked great.

I did think that Case 4 was slightly lacking in that it seemed to fizzle a little bit rather than come to some huge climax but it was still a satisfying end and the getting there was fun.

I was so glad we had a new cast. Yeah, pal, I missed Gumshoe and didn't think Ema MUNCH MUNCH MUNCH had anywhere near as much character but I think I was ready for a new story. Apollo himself was very like Phoenix but I liked that he felt a little more green all the way through. And the character touches like his impressive chords were nice. I like him and would like to see more of him. When I hit the end, because I was slightly disappointed with some elements I was left wondering what the reactions have been like. I was afraid, if they haven't been really positive, Capcom may lay the blame on losing the familiar characters and may well back pedal. Whereas, for me, I want to see where these new characters go and think there was a new dynamic created at the end that could move them away from the Phoenix/Maya relationship that Apollo and Trucy had throughout the game. Though I kind of hope Trucy ditches the magic outfit in the next one.

I loved Mr.Hat too.

So there you go. I enjoyed it. Some really good cases in there. But it was just another AA/GS game and I guess I was hoping for more and, even just being another one, PW3 had set the bar pretty high.

So... when is the next one out?

Edit: Gah! I can't hide spoilers! How do I do them?

Another edit: Got it.

Guh, I just started Justice For All.  I'm curious how you all rank the games in the series, including Apollo Justice.

Seems Jay and myself see things fairly eye-to-eye when it comes to the AA series..... quite a contrast to issues like Sonic and SF4, at least. ;)  But yeah, I'd be curious to see a general ranking of the games from you other fans as well.

And just because I want to mention it, my favorite character in AJ is..... young Vera.  She's too adorable. ^_^

3, 1, 4, 2.

That's pretty much mine right now.

Since I only completed the first two games, I'm going to say that 1 is #1 and 2 is #2.

Zane, did you lose interest in the series?

Hm, I guess I'll just have to look forward to Trials & Tribulations when I finish this one.

Yessir. I started up the third game, but never finished it. When a game (or series) starts to feel like a chore, that's when it's time for me to move on. My fond memories of the first game and my fun with the second are enough to keep me happy.

Justice For All isn't a bad game; it's just the weakest link in the series.  I loved the case stories, but my beef was with the comparatively weaker writing and music, and certain choices in localization.  It's still an important and crucial part of the overarching story line, though, especially for the events that lead up to Trials & Tribulations.  So by all means, finish it up.

And who knows, you may actually end up enjoying Justice For All more than Trials & Tribulations.  SonicPanda seems to, at least.

Ah, it's interesting viewing a complete recap of the threads we've had thus far.  I'd love to do more in-depth polls for JFA and TAT, like the ones in the first Phoenix Wright topic...... but maybe after we've let some of the newcomers had their run through with them.   

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney:
http://www.soundtrackcentral.com/forums … php?id=536

Phoenix Wright: Justice For All:
http://www.soundtrackcentral.com/forums … hp?id=1652

Phoenix Wright: Trials And Tribulations:
http://www.soundtrackcentral.com/forums … hp?id=2307