At this year’s Tokyo Game Show, Capcom dropped some pretty surprising news. Its ever-popular Phoenix Wright series is coming to the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and Steam. While the Switch version isn’t a huge surprise, the other platforms garnered much attention. Aside from mobile ports, the eccentric lawyer visual novel has never appeared on a non-Nintendo console. And now, the original trilogy is being remastered for all major systems.
First released for the Gameboy Advance and continued on the Nintendo DS, the Phoenix Wright trilogy — Ace Attorney, Justice For All, and Trials & Tribulations — had been rereleased before on iOS, Android, and the Nintendo 3DS. The core series’ massive popularity eventually spawned three more entries and a couple of spinoffs. Though historically having been locked to Nintendo’s systems, the franchise continues to be one of Capcom’s most beloved to date.
The remastered versions brought crisp, updated graphics to the bright, anime-themed 2D visuals. This proved to be a huge hit with fans that were disappointed with the artistic direction that the later sequels took. Outside of the original trilogy and the spinoffs, the later entries went with 3D models that did not resonate with gamers; many missed the characteristic and iconic sprite looks of the original.
The visual novels follow defense attorney Phoenix Wright as he solves murder cases through investigations and unique logic-based court sessions. The games are famous for its engaging narratives, lovable and unique characters, memorable music, and one-of-a-kind gameplay. For each game, the 4-5 cases within build on top of each other to culminate in fantastic climactic endings, while the games themselves construct an overarching plotline that continues from the first to the most recent title.
While there are no news of the pricing for the trilogy, the multi-platform adoption should appeal to both newcomers of the series as well as veterans that welcome the nostalgia.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy will release early 2019.