[E3 ’14] Preview: Ace Attorney Trilogy excises the ugly iOS font

Originally published on Pixelitis.net June 15, 2014.

I imagine that getting E3 attendees to play a game they’ve already played years ago must have been difficult for the Capcom representatives manning the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy demo area, but doggone it, it’s a Phoenix Wright compilation, so I just had to try it.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy aims to be the quintessential version of the first three Phoenix Wright games, sporting Ace Attorney, Justice for All and Trials and Tribulations in a single download from the 3DS eShop. As an added bonus, the game will sport the original Japanese version of the game, Gyakuten Saiban 123 Naruhodo Selection, so you can switch between Japanese and English in-game to brush up on your kanji.

I felt it imperative that I dissect the 3DS compilation and compare it to the previous DS and iOS iterations, having objected to the font choice for the iOS version.

Read on to find that out and more, like just how much better the resolution is on the Judge’s gray, glistening beard.

Ace Attorney Trilogy’s updated sprites are based on the iOS version, which means they’ve been smoothed out with reduced pixelation.

While I imagine certain purists may scoff at this, I think it’s a pleasant new upgrade that cleans up each character sprite. The game’s 3D effect makes these crisp sprites pop out more without wrecking my eyeballs.

My demo put me right in the middle of Trials and Tribulations’ second case, “Stolen Turnabout,” where Phoenix cross examines the lovable Dick Gumshoe while constantly being lambasted by the even more lovable coffee-swilling prosecutor Godot. As I chuckled at Godot’s tirades against Phoenix, whom he refers to as “Mr. Trite,” I stood in appreciation of the game’s new text font, which looks and is formatted way better than the generic Arial garbage in the iOS version.

Case 1-5, better known as “Rise from the Ashes” from the first Phoenix Wright game was a bonus case in the DS port that was initially missing from the iOS version. Thankfully, they have left it intact in this compilation, ensuring that people like our fellow editor Karen Rivera won’t be missing out on what I regard as one of the best parts of the series.

I fully expect Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy to be the perfect way for newcomers to get into the series. While I would have liked to see this get a physical release, it beats having to track down the original DS cartridges and lug them around with you. For that reason it may also be worthwhile for existing fans who want the games consolidated into one collection.

I’m hoping that this re-release will start a trend that will lead to digital re-releases of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney and Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth. Let’s make it happen.