Every game in this saga is EPIC and PERFECT. The story is great and the characters are memorable. The OST is just delicious. Every case is very original, and there is a plot full of secrets and twists that you discover through every game.

The writing of Phoenix Wright is pretty much on-par with every-other anime you've ever seen. I don't hate anime, not at all, but unlike a lot of anime fans I realize a lot of it is just plain cliched, and Phoenix Wright's writing is on that very level. But of course this is a game, so the writing isn't everything. If the gameplay is challenging and interesting it's all good, but unfortunately PW doesn't have that going for it either. The game is far, far too lenient on you. For example, you can't go to court unless you have all the evidence, (meaning you can't accidentally miss evidence, which would be more interesting because then cases could be easier/harder/have different verdicts depending on your detective work), if the judge or someone else asks you a question the answer is either extremely obvious or if you pick the wrong one you just get another chance to choose, and when things get dire the game will sometimes toss a deus ex machina factor at you to save the day; you see where I'm going with this? If the game wants to do so much for me, why am I even playing? Sometimes it's a bit difficult to find evidence when you're out investigating, and sometimes it's puzzling as to what evidence you should be presenting during a cross-examination, but that's as challenging as the game gets. Also, once you beat Phoenix Wright you've done everything there is to do, even fans of the game often admit this. Zero replay value. So ultimately, you're playing a generic anime that you can easily get through just by paying a bit of attention with maybe some guesswork thrown in, then you'll probably never touch it again. But at the very least Phoenix Wright is not painful to play. Often boring, but not painful. It can even be mildly entertaining at times and is generally likable. It's just not good, is what I'm saying. If you're a huge anime/niche games/general Japanophile you'll probably enjoy this game. If not, at best I'd say borrow it and see for yourself, but do not pay money for this game. A 4 for barely even being a game, but at least not making me want to kill myself.… Expand

Great to see such an original fun title. It's one of the best on the ds.

A great game that, combined with the right dosage of Law and Order, could easily convince just about anyone to become a lawyer.

I guess I am the only one who didn't get this game. I thought the 1st turnabout wasn't logical, I was not able to ask key question that should be relivent in a real case setting. I mean do we know if the officer is right handed or left handed? How do we know he was on a date when gumshoe was the only one who said that? How do we know he fell and how do we know if he could even write after he broke his neck? Sorry but I took this back to game stop and said it sucked, I am to smart for this game.… Expand

Without a doubt one of the best, most addictive games I have played in a long time. Everytime I finish a chapter, I cannot help feel like I have really been a part of something. I hope so so much a sequel is announced, as I do not want this to end. If you enjoyed the old style point and click games for the PC, you need to get this. I cannot rate this game any higher.

Story is everything in this game, because at heart it's an adventure game. But the writing is exceptional, especially in a game; puzzles make you think, and you can seriously feel the tension with the addition of some Turnabout Tunes during trials to freak you out, calm you down, or whatever is appropriate. Only one way through the story, but then wouldn't almost all games get a 4? A lot of Deus Ex Macina, though, be wary of those things.… Expand

Another innovative puzzler on the DS which deserves your time. Although some of the investigation sections can drag on a little too long, although when you ARE on the right track and you ARE presenting relevant evidence but at the wrong time the involvement and excitement which comes from this game makes up for it. I wish the game allowed for slightly relevant evidence to be considered, rather than demand a certain piece at a certain time, but it doesn't matter. Some of the cases and story lines are pure gold, full of court room drama twists which keep you itching for more.… Expand

Being more into action packed games rather than ones that require wading through dialogue, I wasn't all that interested in Phoenix Wright, but after hearing such good things about it, I decided to give it a go and I'm so glad I did. Though there may not be much "action" in the traditional sense, the gameplay is incredibly thrilling and presenting the right evidence at the right time is intensely satisfying. There is certainly a lot of text to read, but the dialogue is so good (often serious, often hilarious) that this is a joy rather than a chore. The wonderful characterisation is the game's main strength though. Phoenix is a very likeable character and his relationship with his enthusiastic assistant Maya a very sweet one. But even the minor characters are brimming with personality and funny character quirks, like buxom beauty April May, who uses her ample bosom to influence the male jurors or grumpy security guard Wendy Oldbag who launches into unstoppable tirades against whippersnappers. This game is utterly charming from start to finish and I would recommend it to all DS owners, even those who aren't usually into this sort of game.… Expand

Not the game for those who want action, but if you can appreciate an amazing story when you see one, you have one helluva game here.

I love this game!

A great adventure game, well written and nicely presented, though very strictly linear.

Ok. So It is a bit lacking in Graphics. But Graphics are only the Mustard of the game. The Cases in creativness of the game are awesome. This is definitly worth a sequal.

I love this game!

Phoenix Wright is bringing sexy back.

One of the best adventure / story games. Put this in the ranks with Monkey Island and even Myth. Although the feel is very cartoony, which most people will appreciate.

An awesome game that should be in every DS library.

Oh, what the hell. This is the best game I've played in my whole life, and I'm not just a "casual" gamer. It combines writing, humour, gameplay and graphics (2D, yes) in one game.

A combination of excellent music, very memorable characters and offering fun plots thrown in with the rest of the features. I have rarely enjoyed a game as much as following Phoenix and his friends on their misadventures.

A wonderful adventure game that doesn't take itself too seriously. Great sense of humour and clever dialog. It's also a game that anyone should be able to pick up and play (as long as they're prepared for a text-driven game). At times the restrictions within the game's script can become a little too obvious, though. But, to be honest, I don't really care. The game is just fun to play through, and that's what matters.… Expand

The best game ever.

This is exactly what the adventure genre needs, an absolutely amazing investigation game with fun characters and hilarious dialogue. If you have a DS you owe it to yourself to try this game. The creative cases will get your brain juices flowing and drawing you back for much much more.

I'm going to be honest. This game is a masterpiece. I don't care if the game does half of the thinking for you, but the fact that with increasing difficulty and requirements to be able to think beyond a simple contradiction to shove some evidence up the prosecutor's throat makes the game beyond fun. This game just won't let me shut the DS off, of course until I get to a save point.

if you have a look see at the 2 negative reviews, youll see one by a guy called awbreeh, who says hes too smart for the game... which is a little selfish, dont ya think. no i LIKE the twists, i LIKE the story, and best of all the end trial... YEAH!!!

93%

I bought this game on a whim and instantly fell in love with the series. I was familiar with Capcom from their games on the NES and SNES, but had not played much else by them at that point. I really enjoyed the refreshing anime style for the story, characters, and humor of the game. The game combines puzzle solving into the investigations and courtroom battles of the stories in a smooth, accessible way. Case 1 was a great tutorial to the game-play. Instead of an endless progression of textboxes explaining what to do, the game teaches you how to play through having you press and present in the courtroom for the playerâ… Collapse

Pheonix Wrong is a terrible addition to the crime genre. In fact, it's a crime of the game developers to have even made this game. It starts by showing you who did the crime. What's the point in letting us investigate if you have already showed who did it? It's pointless! Not to mention how bad the actual gameplay itself is. All you do is say "Objection!" and a cutscene plays. Do that about eight times and you've pretty much completed the game. If I was in the office while this game was being made, I would have "Objected!" to this game's development being pushed forward.… Expand

One of the few games where I didn't mind that the story overtook the actual gameplay. Actually no, this is the ONLY game where I didn't care about simplistic gameplay at all - the writing was just that great. The game toys with the gamer's emotions with an absolutely masterful arrangement of music and flashy visuals, which not only enrich the story in a very unique way, but make it even BETTER. Did I already mention that Ace Attorney also gives you a set of characters that you can actually give a crap about? Although the game *could* use some better graphics and less down-your-throat linearity, I strongly recommend giving PW:AA a go. It is one of those rare breeds games that will appeal to pretty much everyone, from die-hard FPS fans to RPG stat-junkies.… Expand

Masterful writing, great scoring, unforgettable characters, one-of-a-kind gameplay. Yes, those are the words echoing through my mind after I finished the last case.

While at its heart Phoenix Wright may be a simple game, it is simply the most addicting and tense experience ever achieved with such little action. It is a considerable art to be able to reproduce significant catharsis using only the notions of script writing and musical tunes. Usually taking hours upon hours to complete a case, there is not one moment where you will become bored or fatigued. There are unforeseeable twists around every corner. In brief, Phoenix Wright is easily one of history's most unique and emotional experiences, and should not be missed by anyone. Oh, and also, it is the only game that can convince a player to become a defence attorney :D… Expand

Awesome is the right word for this game! Great characters with great personalities, cool soundtrack, brilliant dialogues, epic breakdowns and lots of twists. At the beginning I thought it might become boring to search in every place for evidence and to listen to such long conversations in court, but I never got bored and I literally can't stop playing when I start.

The idea of a courtroom video game where you play as an attorney, as far as I can tell, is an original and interesting one. However, I just keep feeling that the anime style just wasn't the right choice for this series. During my time playing this game, I kept wishing things were darker and more serious, with less exaggerated actions and cartoonish plots. There are lots of stuff that ruin the sense of immersion and warrant a lot of eye-rolling, like outlandish "proofs", ridiculously gullible judges and officers, and culprits flat out reveal their bad deeds out of nowhere, in the courtroom, in the fashion of poorly-written bad guys who just HAVE to reveal all of their plans to the hero.

The gameplay is also uninteresting and oversimplified, giving you way too many shots at cracking the case, with virtually no punishment for doing things wrong. This ends up taking away any resemblance of a fun challenge.

The main characters are slightly likeable, and at times the cases manages to pique your curiosity. But the problems take too much away for this to be really enjoyable.… Expand