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Gyakuten Saiban 4 demo translation is a heroic effort
DS Fanboy pal Zachary Hinchliffe is powerfully awesome, and you can quote us on that. He's working with Croik of the Phoenix Wright fansite Court Records to translate the Japanese Gyakuten Saiban 4 Flash demo, which actually consists of part of the first case.It's in a very early stage right now-- essentially, once you get past the intro and into gameplay, the text switches over to question-mark speak that is even less useful than the original Japanese dialogue, but you can at least watch the introduction. And you can set your bookmark now to play more as more gets translated, because we're sure you'll get to play this demo to completion in English before the game gets an English release.
Friday Video: Everyone's favorite attorney
Since we never cover anything Phoenix Wright-related, we thought we might relent for once and put him in this week's video spotlight. Don't start expecting it. You know we can't stand those silly games. Rubbish, all of them!We're practicing for April Fools. Did it work? Hit the jump for a special Gyakuten Saiban 4 trailer while you ponder.
Gyakuten Saiban 4 wallpaper
In addition to Capcom's official Gyakuten Saiban 4 page, retailer Tsutaya has their own, with the same screenshots, character art, and story information as that on the Capcom page. We saw on Dengeki Online that the Tsutaya page had a new GS4 Flash game up, and we got excited. Turns out it's a personality quiz that tells you which character you're most similar to, which is neat, but it's also totally in Japanese and not really something we can recommend.Poking around the site a little more, we found this sharp wallpaper featuring new hero Odoroki Housuke, and figured that you would enjoy it! Put it on your desktop and start memorizing the title kanji. It's a good first step toward learning enough Japanese to play the game! Gyakuten Saiban 4 wallpaper800x600 1280x1024 [Via Dengeki]
Gyakuten Saiban (Phoenix Wright) 4 won't feature English translation
Impatient fans and savvy importers know that the Phoenix Wright games in Japan (Gyakuten Saiban) are released with both English and Japanese languages on one cart. But according to Play Asia, the fourth game in the series won't follow that trend. Written on the Gyakuten Saiban 4 product page in big bold letters are the foreboding words "Japanese language support ONLY".Don't panic, this doesn't mean the game won't be localized. With importers jumping the gun and grabbing the Japanese copy before everyone else, Capcom is simply trying to ensure their localization efforts aren't going to waste.[Via Siliconera]
Capcom uses real lawyer to promote fake one
There's nothing quite like bowing down to the almighty dollar (or in this case, almighty yen), is there? Clearly nothing compares, as evidenced in the embedded video past the post break where real-life Japanese lawyer Kazuya Maruyama helps promote Gyakuten Saiban 4. As with all Japanese commercials, the video is fairly short, but like all things Gyakuten Saiban, we are obligated to present it.[Via Dark Diamond]
Capcom blogger interviews Phoenix Wright localization staff
We just found out about the employee blogs that Capcom USA has on their website. One in particular, belonging to "Scarlett," is especially cool because it features an interview with a member of the Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Justice For All localization staff, Janet Hsu!The interview provides some fairly interesting information about working at Capcom Japan, and about trying to make something as Japanese as Gyakuten Saiban make sense to American audiences. There's also the incredible statement from Ms. Hsu that she only took Japanese classes for about 2 years before coming to Japan. Certain members of the DS Fanboy Blogging Squad have taken much more Japanese than that and can't translate their way out of a paper bag. It's official: Janet Hsu is our new hero, and so are her colleagues JP Kellams and Brandon Gay.[Via GameSetWatch]
Cases were plead, results are available
Remember when we told you guys about this? Well, Capcom took the liberty to collect all of the results of said contest on a flickr page, for our viewing pleasure. Some of the comics are just downright hilarious (I BROKE YOUR BUGLE!), so hilarious as to woo the fine folks at Capcom enough so that they bring Gyakuten Saiban 3 to territories outside of Japan, which is looking to be a strong possibility as each new day passes.
Japan gets a Gyakuten Saiban 4 calendar and we don't? OBJECTION!
Capcom put this gorgeous "school calendar" (it starts at April) up for sale in their Japanese store today, and we're dying over here. Look at that cover! That is better than most posters, there. There's Ema Skye, and Phoenix Wright, and the whole group is surrounded by new guy Odoroki Housuke's bracelet thing.And there's six pages of official art inside. This is too much. We don't really have anything clever to say about it. Look at it. It's a thing we want, a lot, and probably won't be able to purchase.Oh, man, we feel so inadequate. How can we be Phoenix Wright fans if we can't look at some Gyakuten Saiban characters when we want to see what day it is? We're going to have to look into placing an order for this thing. 1,260 yen turns out to be ... $10.45.Oh, and while you're at the e-Capcom store, check out these other just-out-of-reach Gyakuten goods!Sample calendar page after the break. You could resize it and make a very blurry, artifacty wallpaper out of it!
Ema Skye returning for Gyakuten Saiban 4
Ema Skye, the science-obsessed, Luminol-toting teen sidekick from Case 5 of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (Gyakuten Saiban: Yomigaeru Gyakuten) is making a return appearance in the new DS sequel, pink goggles and all. Her new character art portrays her as a little more grown-up, so maybe she'll be less annoying. Even if not, we really started to feel sympathetic to Phoenix's junior-detective friend in that case (Don't know what we're talking about? PLAY THE GAME!).Speaking of return appearances, you know who else will be returning when this comes out? Us. Our frothing demand for this game increases. You might as well call us "Phoenix Wright Fanboy." Click past the post break to scientifically investigate a few screenshots.
Hold it! Capcom now accepting pleas for the next Phoenix Wright
If you make your way to Capcom's official Phoenix Wright forums, you'll note that they've just started up a cool little contest involving the third and as yet unlocalized game in the series, Gyakuten Saiban 3. The task is simple: use the provided comic and speech bubbles to create a convincing and preferably hilarious argument for Capcom to bring Gyakuten Saiban 3 to the US as Ace Attorney 3. The allure of winning adorable Phoenix Wright figures is no easy thing to resist.That being said, is Capcom's ultimate decision really going to be influenced by a forum contest? Considering their recent approach to marketing within the gaming community, we'd suggest that we already have the confirmation of Ace Attorney 3 right here -- unless they were planning to pick some winners and then promptly deny them a localization. Further evidence can be found in the recently released (and utterly superb) Justice for All, which made the Phoenix Wright name less prominent and placed the focus on Ace Attorney. This is likely in preparation for an English version of Gyakuten Saiban 4, the forthcoming built-for-DS sequel that stars a new protagonist. (Just in case we're completely wrong though, keep in mind that the contest comes to a close on February 28!)[Via DS Fanboy]
Capcom demos playable Flash version of Phoenix Wright 4
Capcom has come up with a great lunchtime distraction for the bored-at-work: a playable preview version of Gyakuten Saiban 4 in Flash. The DS version of what we'd call Phoenix Wright 4 is still a couple of months away from its Japanese release, so we can only applaud Capcom's generosity here. GUILTY: the dialogue in this demo will be largely incomprehensible to most Western players, as its script is written entirely in Japanese. NOT GUILTY: the music is sublime and manages to convey (without lyrics) how the trial is progressing; this is also the first time we've seen Odoroki-kun (captured here) at the bar. Cheers!
Special edition Gyakuten Saiban 4 comes with dictionary
Turns out that Japan will be getting a special edition of Gyakuten Saiban 4, which is Phoenix Wright 4 to us English-speaking people. The special edition pack-in is an encyclopedia cartridge that reviews all of Phoenix's previous cases. It also contains all of the background music so you can listen at your leisure. Of course, our desire for such an extra is nonexistent as we haven't played any of the games beyond the first, but we have a feeling the Japanese will eat this up. Check out Siliconera for some pictures of the encyclopedia in action.
No objection to more Phoenix Wright in Japan
Capcom has begun work on a new Japanese installment of the popular courtroom adventure series, Phoenix Wright (known as Gyakuten Saiban in Japan). The game will star a new hero lawyer, Housuke Odoroki, and, being specifically designed for DS, will feature a revamped stylus-friendly interface. This new Phoenix Wright title is not a remake of Gyakuten Saiban 3 (GBA).Outside of Japan, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (a remake of GBA's Gyakuten Saiban) -- now in its third printing -- is a rare, cult classic and has prompted a sequel, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All (a remake of GBA's Gyakuten Saiban 2), which is scheduled for release early next year.
Nintendo losing their Touch (Generations)?
If Nintendo's desires are realized, it won't be too long before the image of Grandpa hunching furiously over his DS Lite and murderously screaming "Blue" joins that of the bespectacled nerd in the ranks of uninformed gamer stereotypes. In an effort to reach out to those who would normally shy away from electronic devices and their confusing beeps and boops, several forthcoming and readily available DS games have recently been shoved under the Touch Generations banner. The range highlights Nintendo's popular "non-games", titles that are meant to be approachable by any person, regardless of their previous gaming experience.In North America, games like Nintendogs, Brain Age and Sudoku Gridmaster seem to gravitate towards the label quite naturally, but it seems that the selection differs significantly from that of other regions. Anthropomorphic neighbour sim, Animal Crossing: Wild World, slots right in with Electroplankton in Europe, but the choices of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Trauma Center: Under the Knife seem to fit in less comfortably. The latter two titles are far more traditional, with linear stories, clear conditions for success and failure and, in the case of Trauma Center especially, a more pronounced difficulty level that requires intricate stylus strokes--lest your patient's internal organs become reduced to a bloody mush (technical term). In other words, all the stuff that the mythical casual gamer doesn't want.The Japanese selection is almost the exact opposite, filled with English trainers, dictionaries and travel guidebooks. If you looked up "game" in one of those dictionaries, you'd likely find a description far removed from most of these titles. It raises an interesting question, then: What constitutes a game that, according to Nintendo's mantra, anyone can pick up and play? Is it a game that almost exclusively relies on intuitive touch screen controls? Or is it something with simplistic gameplay mechanics? Perhaps it's not even a game at all. Nintendo's pretty clear about the kind of people they're chasing with the DS and the Wii, but things seem less vivid when it comes to matching specific games with specific audiences. With games being such unique and often personal experiences, it's doubtful that the line between hardcore and casual will ever become especially obvious.
Anime homage to Phoenix Wright
In this episode of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, the characters find themselves at a turnabout dinner table, trying to get to the bottom of a mystery. If you've played Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (and you really, really should have), you may spot some awfully familiar mannerisms that give the homage away.[Thanks BPM!]
DS mega list shows Phoenix Wright 2, more
If you thought Reggie was skilled at assaulting posteriors and acquiring names, you'd best beware of the author of one highly comprehensive fact sheet that was pulled from Nintendo's press website. A tipster sent us the document in question and, upon reading the list of currently planned titles and their projected release dates, we experienced something that could best be described as a seizure of delight. If the epic list is to be believed, zany courtroom adventure (and DS Fanboy favorite) Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is receiving a sequel in October. The rest of the document also contains a bunch of unannounced titles (none of them from Konami) and some specific release dates, including one for Star Fox DS. Another click will take you to the complete list. Trust us, it's a good read. [Thanks, Ryan F!]
Phoenix Wright shirt: HOLD IT!
We just can't get enough of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. The game has wormed itself into our very thought patterns, with even a normal conversation between friends becoming an unbearable struggle against suddenly objecting and pointing out the many contradictions in their testimonies. Naturally, there's no way we could possibly overlook this awesome attorney apparel. Follow the link, place your order and look ridiculously stylish as you slam desks and point dramatically![Thanks Christopher!]
Capcom vaguely commits to the Revolution
Okay, now this is getting ridiculous. For some reason, developers seem to enjoy answering in ambiguous, wishy-washy and altogether non-committal ways when questioned about the Revolution. "Ah, yes, I've heard of the Revolution. It's very exciting." "Are you developing for it?" "I'd love to!" "Is that a yes?" "Well, it has this wacky new controller...I bet we could do really amazing things with it." "Is that a yes?" "I think it's wonderful that Nintendo is trying something out there, you know?" "Are you going to answer the question?" "I'd love to!" "Is that a yes?" And so it goes. Speaking to the Official Nintendo Magazine in the UK, Capcom developers did little to buck the trend and offered some insight into their vague plans. Atsushi Inaba (President of Clover Studios) said that Nintendo had not formally asked about a Viewtiful Joe title as of yet, though he would be delighted to oblige if they did. He expressed interest in utilizing the controller for Joe's actions, as well as some uncertainty as to how exactly the many VFX powers would be implemented. Minae Matsukawa (Producer of Phoenix Wright) pointed out how cool it would be to develop for the Revolution, but that he was far too busy with the French localization of Ace Attorney to commit to a next-gen entry in the franchise. Finally, Tsukasa Takenake (Designer of Mega Man Battle Network 5) had the most interesting thing to say: If fans want a first-person perspective Mega Man game on the Revolution, he'd be willing to give it a (charge) shot. Interesting! In summary, it looks like we can, with a fair degree of certainty, expect Capcom to probably make some kind of Revolution game at some point. Maybe. We're sure they'd love to. [Via Ownage.nl, GameFront]
