Slow Reviews Games: A NinSheetMusic Column

[Sebastian]

ok

[SlowPokemon]

You never know, mariolegofan. I might.

[Sebastian]

quote author=SlowPokemon link=topic=4986.msg224154#msg224154 date=1377627759]
You never know, mariolegofan. I might.
[/quote]
Cant wait...if you do.
I always liked the music to that game 

[SlowPokemon]

Game Review: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies
System: Nintendo 3DS
ESRB: M (Violence, Blood, Suggestive Themes, Language)

I truly envy the naïve person who is browsing the Nintendo eShop for something to buy, comes across Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, and impulsively buys it despite never having played an Ace Attorney game before. Players already familiar with the exploits of Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, and the rest will be anticipating the bizarre situations, offbeat humor, and entertaining dialogue, but someone playing for the first time is liable to snort milk out of his or her nose when, in the first case, Mr. Wright makes a particularly good argument and the prosecution's toupee flies off in shock.

That's right, Ace Attorney is back and is as laugh-out-loud ridiculous as ever, the various murder trials bringing all sorts of quirky (and sometimes certifiably insane) characters to testify in court. And god, it feels good to have this series back in action. As the first main series title since 2008's Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Dual Destinies is a compelling argument for why this series should not die out anytime soon. It doesn't mess much with the Ace Attorney formula, but it's so polished and so well-written that I have no qualms calling it the best Ace Attorney experience to date.

Notice I didn't refer to the game as a Phoenix Wright experience; the title is quite a misnomer. Phoenix Wright is merely a brand name at this point, the lawyer playing a prominent role in a few of the game's five cases but ultimately taking a backseat to Apollo Justice and newcomer Athena Cykes, whose super-sensitive hearing allows her to sense discord in others' emotions. Don't worry one bit about that, though—Apollo and Athena are appealing enough as characters that you won't really notice Wright's absence.

And the cases are such an improvement over past games, too. Apollo Justice's middle cases became something of a chore to play through, with drawn-out scenarios and characters that annoyed as much as they amused. No such problems are found in Dual Destinies, which hasn't a single weak case among its five. The game opens with a bang, and that's not a figure of speech—the first scene in the game is a bomb going off in court, the judge and people in the gallery running for their lives. The excitement found in this opener doesn't let up, either—the other cases involve such oddities as a murder apparently committed by a Japanese demon, or the murder of a school professor apparently at the hands of one of her students. While the episodes in Dual Destinies are quite lengthy, they never feel tedious, which is more than can be said about even some of the original Phoenix Wright cases. These cases twist and turn to the point where it almost gets absurd, and for the first time, I was legitimately shocked by the murderer in the last case. And even when the pacing starts dragging, you have so many characters to keep things interesting: a journalism student who refuses to leave her cardboard box, a self-important old man whose mobile scooter goes haywire in court, and a flamboyant makeup-wearing gentleman who assaults you with perfume when angered, to name a few highlights. And this isn't even mentioning the new prosecutor, Simon Blackquill, who is allowed to prosecute trials despite currently serving time for a murder sentence. Only in the Ace Attorney universe would a prosecutor be allowed to make numerous death threats in court and attack the defense with a pet hawk, and that's all I can say on the subject.

It's almost a given at this point, but the localization is spot-on, with only a few noticeable grammatical errors and expertly translated phrases that I'm sure couldn't work in the Japanese. At one point Apollo tells the justice-loving Detective Fulbright that "It's just us and you in here," to which the detective replies "It's justice and me in here...?" The puns fly thick and fast in true Ace Attorney fashion, one of my personal favorites being that a so-called "bomb disposal expert" is named Ted Tonate (give it a second...and there you go).

And then there's the gameplay. Capcom has my eternal gratitude for the amount of improvements that went into the gameplay of Dual Destinies, another reason I'm so envious of anyone who has this game as his or her first Ace Attorney experience. The most notable thing is that losing all of your health no longer boots you to the title screen; rather, you're given an option to simply retry starting from where you failed. This makes the thought of losing a lot less scary, but there was no reason for such punishment in the first place, so I really appreciated that bit of gameplay. In addition, incorrectly presenting evidence several times in a row unlocks an option to consult your fellow attorney, who will tell you the contradictory statement. It works great because you still have some challenge in figuring out which evidence to present without being bogged down by so many statements.

The 3D models look simply incredible, maintaining the charm of the 2D art of Ace Attorney games past while adding a lot more expression to the characters. Dual Destinies also has my favorite use of the 3D effect on the handheld, tying with Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask which uses a similar layout. Also in the style of Layton are new anime cutscenes, complete with cheesy-borderline-cringeworthy voice acting. They add a lot to the experience and are expertly converted to 3D for the system. The various voice acting in the court phases has received a huge overhaul as well, with some great results (and some slightly awkward results).

The music is of the highest quality the series has ever seen, and is expertly written by Noriyuki Iwadare (of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations fame). The music score is incredible, with mostly new themes and a few remixed ones from previous titles. Special mention goes to Simon Blackquill's theme for being dark, brooding, and intimidating yet still accomplishing a sense of excitement and intrigue.

Overall, Dual Destinies is the best Ace Attorney title to date, which begs the question why Capcom didn't see fit to order a retail release. I guess it doesn't matter, considering we didn't even get the last Ace Attorney game here in the states, but I still think that this is the sort of game that could become a sleeper hit, if only people knew about it. In addition, the M rating (which is just barely justified) doubtlessly turns younger audiences away. Make sure you add this title to your 3DS library—it's an absolute must-play.

Graphics: 10/10
Ace Attorney makes the leap to 3D—finally—with graceful and spectacular execution.

Sound: 10/10
Amazing orchestral music courtesy of a veteran composer and purposely cheesy voice-over work makes for the ideal Ace Attorney experience soundwise.

Gameplay: 8/10
Investigations are much, much more streamlined, and trials aren't so headache-inducing. Be prepared for a lot of dialogue and a lot of crazy logic.

Plot: 10/10
The best stories since Trials and Tribulations, with a greater sense of overall narrative than any of the previous games.

Overall: 9/10

You'll like: The twists and turns each trial throws at you.
You'll dislike: The occasionally slow pacing of the plot.
You'll love: Prosecutor Blackquill. "Take that, Wright-dono!"

[SlowPokemon]

SlowPokemon's Best of 3DS Games 2013

Best Multiplayer

Spoiler

Pokémon X and Pokémon Y
While I wasn't totally satisfied with the sixth generation of Pokémon games, no one can deny that they brought new life to the series. The games represent the most polished experience a Pokémon fan could ask for, and this becomes especially obvious in the games' multiplayer features thanks to the ingenious Player Search System, or PSS. Want to trade Pokémon with a buddy who's online? Just tap a button on the bottom screen. Don't have the Pokémon you want to trade with you? Just trade it straight from your PC Box. Have the urge to battle, but none of your friends are online? Tap the icon of any "Passersby"—people who are playing the game online from anywhere in the world—and challenge them to a battle. It's a truly fantastic experience, especially as a longtime Pokémon fan who did all his childhood trading at the Pokémon Center.

Honorable mention: Animal Crossing: New Leaf

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Best Graphics

Spoiler

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Best use of 3D

Spoiler

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies
Ace Attorney's leap into 3D was beautifully realized, with lively animated 3D models that pop naturally from their backgrounds. The addition of 2D animated cutscenes converted into 3D also made for a really immersive experience.

Honorable mention: Animal Crossing: New Leaf, HarmoKnight, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon

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Best Sound

Spoiler

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
The sequel to the popular cult game of 2001, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon features a brilliantly spooky array of sound design. Everything from the creepy soundtrack to the charming way Luigi hums along to it is designed to make the player smile, shiver, and everything in between. Charles Martinet did a particularly fantastic job with Luigi's voice.

Honorable mention: Animal Crossing: New Leaf, HarmoKnight

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Best Music

Spoiler

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies
Say what you will about Pokémon X and Y, but the new Ace Attorney game has the best music in a game I've heard in a long time. The CD album has 69 tracks, and there isn't a single weak one among them. With the 3DS potential to work with, Capcom wisely ditched the nostalgic beeps of previous entries in the series and went full-out orchestral, making Phoenix's objections that much more intense, the quirky characters that much more amusing, and the sad moments truly heartbreaking.

Honorable mention: Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

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Best Story

Spoiler

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies
Even for a story-based game, Dual Destinies goes above and beyond what's expected. Three of Dual Destinies' five cases link together to form an intricate, complex story, while the other two function as standalone episodes, no less rewarding. The dialogue is incredibly well-written, the characters' names groan-inducingly punny, and the story dramatic, complicated, and over-the-top. What all that adds up to is a clever and highly entertaining experience.

Honorable mention: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale

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Best 3DS Game

Spoiler

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies
That's right, Dual Destinies was my favorite 3DS game of the year. It might be a bit too personal of a choice for some of you, but rest assured that I don't know anyone who wouldn't enjoy Dual Destinies if they gave it the chance. It's the best Ace Attorney title out there in terms of what kind of experience you're going to get, and manages to be excellent for both newcomers and veterans. Throw in the best DLC I've ever encountered (an entire case!) and you have what I consider to be the best 3DS experience of 2013.

Honorable mention: Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Pokémon X and Pokémon Y

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[Yugi]

I love how "Best Graphics" is blank.

And What do you think is the best 2013 game in general?

[FireArrow]

Slow, that's unlike you, VLR didn't even get an honorable for story! O:

[Yugi]

Slow, that's unlike you, VLR didn't even get an honorable for story! O:

Not 2013

[Olimar12345]

Lol you can tell which game he has played most recently.

[SlowPokemon]

Lol you can tell which game he has played most recently.

Pokemon X and Y you mean? I haven't played Dual Destinies since it came out, you prick. It's not like I could actually like it the best or anything. Go be mean in someone else's review thread, thanks.

[Olimar12345]

Try to read my posts in a normal tone. Perhaps you'll have a better time interpreting them, and won't have to sink to petty flaming. d:

[MaestroUGC]

Only if you start reading my posts in a not-so-normal tone, you dingus.

[Olimar12345]

Lol, well that time bloop was there and also thought you were serious. 

[SlowPokemon]

Try to read my posts in a normal tone. Perhaps you'll have a better time interpreting them, and won't have to sink to petty flaming. d:

Jesus Christ Olimar. You can't expect to do your little provoking bullshit and then act surprised when I tell you to fuck off. And don't even try to convince me you meant it any other way, you asshole. I'm so sick of you.

[Sebastian]

Jesus Christ Olimar. You can't expect to do your little provoking bullshit and then act surprised when I tell you to fuck off. And don't even try to convince me you meant it any other way, you asshole. I'm so sick of you.

Hmm....I wonder why he got banned....