ace-attorney-investigations
Latest
Ace Attorney Investigations becomes a theme park attraction
Japan residents eager to step into the frilly cravat of Ace Attorney Investigations prosecutor Miles Edgeworth will be able to do so this spring. Well, not literally -- more like step into his office. In honor of the Japanese release of Ace Attorney Investigations 2, Sega's Tokyo Joypolis theme park will host an Ace Attorney Investigations themed attraction built to resemble Edgeworth's workspace. Visitors will be able to search the attraction, as Edgeworth, in order to find evidence and determine the culprit of a crime. If you'd prefer to walk around a simulated theme park inside an Ace Attorney game, you can do so in the first Investigations.
Investigate these Ace Attorney Investigations 2 screens
Next week's Tokyo Game Show will be the site of many game unveilings, including Capcom's follow-up to Ace Attorney Investigations for Nintendo DS. No need to wait 'til then to get a peek at it, though, as the publisher has released the first few shots on its Japanese site. %Gallery-101844%
This Miles Edgeworth art has ruined us
Our puritanical grandmother always tried to convince us that art is evil, but we never believed her until this morning. Though we fell asleep in a world where we loved every square pixel of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, we awake to this gorgeous fan art from DeviantArt user brilcrist and now all we can think of is how much we wish the game looked exactly like that. So, Capcom, what would you say to a big-budget, meticulously detailed game centered on Miles Edgeworth costing millions of dollars and countless man hours to produce? ... Hey, where are you going?
Metareview: Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
You want some hard truth? Here it is: We have such a deep and abiding love for the Ace Attorney series that we almost certainly wouldn't be able to critique Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth objectively. Perhaps Capcom didn't send it our way solely because nabbing a good review from us would be almost too easy, a proverbial fish-in-a-barrel situation. Less enamored critics have been pretty kind to the game, as you can see in some of the review snippets below. Not pictured is GamePro's 3.5 star review, omitted both for being unrepresentative of the game's average score and for being written by someone clearly incapable of experiencing joy. Eurogamer (8/10): "Things might be different as Edgeworth takes the helm, but this is unmistakably an Ace Attorney game. It bubbles with joy, a simmering pot of gleeful happiness. The ridiculous world of outlandish characters, crazed enthusiasm and peculiar passion continues, despite this latest game being even more heavily focused on the topic of murder." GameSpot (80/100): "While not much has changed from other Ace Attorney games in the way the narrative unfolds--slow paced, linear, and heavily text based--Investigations is not a clone of its predecessors." IGN (76/100): "You won't be stuck in the courtroom trying cases, either. You work crime scenes and interrogate suspects in the field. It's like CSI, except it uses real science like an "information reproduction" device that recreates the crime scene so you can investigate what happened when you weren't even around." Wired (8/10): "When everything comes together in the game's final case, and Edgeworth finally gets an opportunity to argue a case in court, it becomes evident how meticulously planned, written and executed this game really is. Compared to most other games, the interactions here may seem minimal. But that doesn't mean that Edgeworth and friends won't manage to get their hooks into you."
New DSi bundle, Q1 games dated in Europe
Much as it did for North America, Nintendo just tossed out a huge list of release dates for Europe in Q1. And right at the top of the list is a new DSi hardware bundle, to be released on February 12. If you don't feel like holding out one more month for the out-sized DSi XL, you can get a pink DSi with a copy of Nintendo Presents Style Boutique. In other hardware news, the company announced that it will continue offering the previously limited-edition black Wii bundle, which includes both Wii Sportses, a Wiimote, a Nunchuk, and a MotionPlus. As for the games, there's a lot coming up on Wii and DS in the next few months, including both Tatsunoko vs. Capcom and Ace Attorney Investigations from Capcom, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Phantasy Star Zero, Excitebike World Rally and more. Source (PDF link)
Investigate a Flash demo of Miles Edgeworth's new game
Like it has for past Ace Attorney games, Capcom has prepared a demo of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth. This demo seems even more relevant than past offerings, since aspects of the game other than the names on the text windows have changed. This demo will give you the opportunity to examine Edgeworth's office with the new point-and-click interface, connect evidence with the new "Logic" system, and become impatient with Detective Gumshoe. It doesn't take a brilliant deductive mind with excellent taste in cravats to puzzle out that this demo contains spoilers, since it reproduces the first scene in the game. However, we suspect that you won't be able to resist, after almost two years of no Ace Attorney games. %Gallery-74040%
TGS 2009: Hands-on: Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
Though it's been available in Japan since late May, Capcom's Phoenix Wright spin-off, Gyakuten Kenji, was playable in English form at the publisher's Tokyo Game Show hotel suite. Inefficiently dubbed Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth, the game sees you ditching the spiky-haired idealist and donning a delightful cravat in service of the prosecution. In what could have been just another Phoenix Wright game, but presented from an opposing perspective, Ace Attorney Investigations diverges from tradition more than any other title in the series -- which is to say that it actually diverges from tradition just a bit. The focus is still heavily on plot, characters and clever yappin', but the sterile, first-person point-and-click investigation process has now been replaced with a third-person view. The control system is functional, but quite unnatural in one respect. You can maneuver Edgeworth through the 2D environments, displayed on the DS' top screen, by either dragging the stylus across the touch screen or simply using the d-pad (thanks for the option, Edgey!). When you've gotten him close enough to an item of interest, you tap a context-specific icon on the bottom screen to interact with it. So, it's less point-and-click and more walk-over-there-and-tap-the-button. %Gallery-74040%
Ace Attorney series will continue to testify on DS
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth producer Motohide Eshiro told us that there were no plans for the Ace Attorney series to migrate to other consoles. In an interview with Siliconera, he offered more reasoning for the DS loyalty. "It's not that we don't like other hardware and that we don't want to do it," Eshiro said. "It's just it was original made for handhelds, it was made to be played on the go, and also the interface we created the game, especially for Ace Attorney Investigations, uses the touch screen and we want people to interact with that. You can't replicate that on Xbox Live. For us, the DS seems like the most natural fit." What has changed was the original plan for Investigations' protagonist. Eshiro revealed that "scientific investigator" and Apollo Justice detective Ema Skye was intended for the role. "The director originally proposed to use Ema as the main character," he said, "but according to the feedback we got from our fans it seems Edgeworth was the more popular character." And thus we have a game with a "Logic System" instead of a "Snackoo-Eating System." %Gallery-68609%
Ace Attorney and Resident Evil bring Capcom a favorable Q1
Capcom just released its financial results for its fiscal Q1, which ended on June 30. It doesn't look like we'll be reporting any major Capcom layoffs anytime soon, as the company managed to post increased sales for the quarter.Net sales for Q1 were ¥19.497 billion ($203.68 million), up 19.2 percent from Q1 last year. Operating income rose 23 percent, to ¥3.664 billion ($38.277 million). Capcom attributes the positive numbers to continued sales of Resident Evil 5, along with successful Japanese launches for Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and the PSP version of Sengoku Basara Battle Heroes. "As a result," Capcom announces, "we marked the best net sales, operating income and ordinary income since quarterly release announcements began."Less responsible for Capcom's record success: Bionic Commando and the localized version of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, as well as the arcade business. Can't win 'em all.
Interview: Ace Attorney Investigations producer Motohide Eshiro
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth will finally be legislating onto North American shelves in February of 2010, letting players take up the prosecuting side for the first time in the series. Luckily, you'll still be able to shout OBJECTION! in Phoenix Wright fashion as much as you want.Joystiq met up with game producer Motohide Eshiro at in Capcom's booth at Comic-Con, which featured playable versions of the game and some very sweet swag. We asked him what else we can expect from the game, when we'll be able to play as the judge, and what his thoughts were on all the crazy fans in San Diego. Read on for the full interview.Update! Be sure and check out the photo at the end of the interview where Eshiro-san meets up with a cosplaying Miles Edgeworth at Comic-Con.%Gallery-68609%
Ace Attorney Investigation: Miles Edgeworth coming stateside February 16
Capcom's in a fairly generous mood this morning! Its spirits are seemingly bolstered by the opening of the San Diego Comic-Con -- in tandem with the convention's kickoff, they sent a press release full of announcements. The most exciting of which is, of course, the revelation of the February 16 release date for Ace Attorney Investigation: Miles Edgeworth. You may object to the amount of time now standing between you and the highly animated Law & Order sim -- but if you happen to be attending the Con this year, you can get an early look at the game at Capcom's booth, you lucky, lucky so-and-so. %Gallery-68609%
Infinite Space takes space at top of Japanese charts
Platinum Games' first release may not have been a sales phenomenon, but the company has found (relative) success with its second, the DS sci-fi roleplaying game Mugen Kouro (Infinite Space). It was a slow week for Japanese software sales, which allowed Infinite Space's 38,394 copies to put it at the top of the Media Create sales chart for last week, its first week in stores.The three spots below that on the chart also belong to DS games: last week's top seller, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days sits at #2, followed by Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Sloane and Machale's Mysterious Story. The #5 position is held by Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires on PS3.%Gallery-22958%[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Examine the scene of the crime in Ace Attorney Investigations videos
One of our favorite parts of the pre-release period for any Ace Attorney game is when Capcom releases a trailer featuring fully-voiced versions of the cast. We don't want a whole Ace Attorney game with voice acting, because we can read quite a bit faster than Phoenix Wright can speak. But we do enjoy seeing a more dramatic presentation of the game's material for a couple of minutes.The trailer above for Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth features just such a presentation, and both this trailer and the one following the break feature a decent amount of gameplay footage. While we're geeking out, can we say how happy we are to see Franziska von Karma appear in another game? Maybe that's just because we have yet to be reminded just how much repetition of the word "foolish" there really was in Justice for All.
Capcom points Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth our way this winter
We all knew this was coming thanks to a trademark, but that doesn't make the official announcement any less exciting: Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth is "making its way to the west this winter!" Investigate the first English screens for yourself at Capcom Unity. Ace Attorney Investigations is a spin-off of the Phoenix Wright courtroom adventure series, starring Wright's cravatted rival, prosecutor Miles Edgeworth. In this point-and-click adventure, Edgeworth investigates crime scenes in order to find the truth, presenting contradictions to material witnesses as they occur. Edgeworth can use a "logic" mode to determine connections between two pieces of evidence. When sufficient evidence has been gathered, Edgeworth faces down the suspect! %Gallery-20451%
Gyakuten Kenji teacup: HOLD IT! with your pinky extended
Miles Edgeworth is a unique character. The Ace Attorney prosecutor is confident and strong, but distinctly dainty at the same time. He casts an imposing figure in the courtroom, even in a magenta suit and a frilly cravat. The latest unattainable Japanese promo item for Gyakuten Kenji, this delicate teacup with Edgeworth's face stamped in his trademark color, is perfect for Edgeworth. In most people's hands, it would be, at best, adorable, but Edgeworth is so raw that he could make Phoenix Wright tremble in terror with the simple intonation of "Wright." between sips. The teacup is available for preorder from e-Capcom for 1890 yen ($19). Unfortunately, e-Capcom doesn't ship outside of Japan. %Gallery-20451% [Via Inside-Games]
Investigate the Gyakuten Kenji Premium Edition DSi
Just two days until the launch of the North American DSi, and we're already over it. Oh, great, we can get a black one or a blue one. Yay. Thanks a ton, Capcom and Nintendo, for choosing now to reveal the Japan-only Gyakuten Kenji Premium Edition box, containing not only the game, but also this white DSi with a Blue Badger, uh, badge on it. Every time we look at one of the US models, we're going to see a big Blue Badger-shaped void.The package runs 23,940 yen ($240.20) and will be available in Japan on May 28. Don't expect to see this thing in North America, even if Capcom does localize the game. We never get these limited editions.%Gallery-20451%[Via Inside-Games]
New 'Ace Attorney Investigations' trademark is evidence of Gyakuten Kenji localization
Spencer from Siliconera found a US trademark from Capcom for something called Ace Attorney Investigations. Just for the simple fact that it means more Ace Attorney anything, that is wonderful news. But Spencer conjectures that the trademarked title is intended for Gyakuten Kenji, the Ace Attorney spinoff starring Miles Edgeworth.It's a good guess -- the point-and-click style adventure game focuses on investigating crime scenes with Edgeworth and Detective Gumshoe over courtroom action. It's been over a year since we last had Ace Attorney content, so we'll TAKE THAT without OBJECTIONs when it releases, and we hope Capcom doesn't decide to HOLD IT back. But will we be able to pay way too much for it like Japanese fans?%Gallery-20451%
