more like 'justice for all but phoenix wright' my poor guy gets assaulted HOW many times ... ?
can't even imagine how much more he's gonna go through in the rest of the series ...
jfa is ... interesting as in i feel like it both deserves better and is just okay at the same time ... it felt more often at times a drag to get through but holy shit does the last case fucking slap harder than franziska's whip and make everything worth it to get to that point .



[EPISODE 1-]

the amnesia thing felt kinda dumb it's like ... tutorial for the people who decided to play a sequel before the original ... i don't understand why people do that it's like why are you starting at the middle of a series ... regardless i /might/ be able to forgive it as long as they don't do it ever again . don't do it i swear to god .
this one felt more basic compared to the first trial in the first game it didn't hook me nearly as much ... but it's passable for what it is ... doesn't feel narratively all that important compared the first game's more relevant one as the latter set up wright's character and hints at the class trial ...
large bananas



[EPISODE 2-]

this one is pretty decent i felt a bit fatigued tho i feel like i probably liked this one a little less than others did ? it's far from bad it was just kinda 'okay' to me to where i really just don't have much to say about it ...
the whole setup and culprit are interesting but i feel like morgan's kind of ,.. just there and then she's like 'MUAHAHA IM RAISING MY CHILD TO BECOME THE HEIR TO THE FAMILY FUCK MAYA SHES A BITCH' and then wright pretends like he heard none of that bc he secretly agrees
idrk i just don't have much to say on this one ? it's just okay in my opinion ... pearls is cute and while i like her ... i really try my best to just ignore it but i groan a little bit whenever she ships wright and maya it's like ... in a little kid way it's kinda cute and while i understand /why/ she does that can't they please just explain things to her and make things less awkward ... speaking of uncomfortable 'ship' stuff ...



[EPISODE 3-]

in the words of wright himself - 'absolutely cringe-inducing'
hmm something nice to say ...
uh
it's got edgeworth in the epilogue and i nearly threw up out of shock seeing him in blue
i actually grew to like franziska starting here whereas i was before mostly indifferent and i felt kinda bad for her during this case (bc it's so bizarre and the madman wright is getting away with his outrageous theories again) and then even moreso in the final case and i'll expand on that later
i like the culprit keeping his cool the whole time only to just have tears quietly streaming down his face at the end ... the whole bat and ringmaster thing is just a tragic situation for everyone involved and is rather unfortunate for them so on those two fronts i did like the idea ...
it can be funny sometimes and it's so insane it almost makes sense but that's kinda a given anyway right ...
everything else tho ..,
do you think most of the alcohol used for the writing process was directed for this case ...
i did not much like the characters introduced here and i would prefer not to even think about all the gross age gap stuff involved so moving on
this case got my badge stolen which warrants the death penalty and when it was retrieved it fucked up the evidence slot order briefly un-fucking-forgivable
truly not just a clown , but the entire circus and like actual circuses i don't particularly enjoy them much and kinda view them as a waste of time personally



[EPISODE 4-]

i was really nervous about starting this one bc while avoiding spoilers i heard this was one of the best cases ...
yep
since i started the series i kept thinking 'what'll happen when wright has a client that's guilty' and here we find out what a hell of a ride it is
the stakes are raised immediately and is constantly dangling dangerously over a precipice throughout it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time i was sweating bullets i was so anxious with a constant pit in my stomach and had absolutely no clue what to expect ... then when i was making a dawning realisation on the true culprit i thought 'oh . THIS is what the title 'farewell , my turnabout' means' what a fantastic culprit even when i was interrogating him about his psychelocks a part of me STILL was clinging onto the hope that maybe there's a chance he could still be innocent and i felt the horror and betrayal right with wright and some kind of slight shame when engarde laughs about how overly trusting wright is
i'm curious what majority of people chose for that final verdict ... and the one before franziska arrives ... both times i chose guilty bc while maya's life would be endangered , i had to trust that the police would rescue her , i couldn't just let the real criminal get away and get an innocent party killed and again later i chose for guilty but i suppose that choice kinda didn't matter bc engarde begs for guilty anyway ... i suppose it's nice to have your cake and eat it too with 'got you your not guilty verdict like you asked have fun getting tracked down by an angry assassin ;)' but i didn't know that choice would still push engarde into pleading guilty and even if i initially knew i didn't just want to let him get declared 'innocent' even if de killer would be after him to me that wasn't ample enough justice - to still be labelled 'not guilty' when he was anything but - and i think narratively it works better for wright's character to have him still choose to 'lose' and give up his 'perfect record' which is kinda ironic bc i absolutely abuse my save states and i remember in an earlier case when i made a mistake and reloaded i thought 'no penalties i can't ruin my perfect record- oh .' and i just think that's amazing
absolutely fantastic case and it's well worth all the shit before it
'edgeworth , catch !' cue the greatest animation in the history of ever



[(mostly) EVERYTHING ELSE]

psychelocks are a new gimmick to spice investigations up a bit and while i like that it is rather frustrating having to quit and skip through mounds of dialogue because you picked the wrong profile or evidence ... speaking of i like the addition of presenting profiles it was something i had wondered briefly why it wasn't an option in the original so i was pleasantly surprised to see that was available here

the music definitely isn't as iconic as the first game's but i immediately noticed it felt ... sadder , generally more quiet and reserved as if in lingering mourning - reflecting wright's mental state as he's more bitter and jaded from the loss of his friend who he believes to be dead for the majority of the game and continues to be not doing so good as he negotiates a hostage situation involving another close friend .
while i did miss the original music , shaking it up was a good choice and i like the thematic nature i just described for it here ... i also like it bc the testimony music physically hurts less to listen to something about the original kinda makes me feel like getting a headache like it's good it just kinda feels a bit too loud and buzzy which applies to the psychelocks music too actually ...

as for new characters i have the most to say on franziska ...
i find it intriguing how in a way she's a parallel to wright ... cant remember who said it or when but a character mentioned the two having the same fiery determination and essentially strive for the same thing tho i wish her contrast and comparison to wright was a little more explored upon ...
she also serves as a sort of dark mirror to edgeworth as he has learned what being a prosecutor means yet she's still stuck in the shadow of living up to the von karma name and refuses to let go of her perfectionism until the end where she breaks a little and then my heart softened for her ... she's hardly a legal adult and has been burdened with so much weight of being like her father yet unlike him she also has some sympathy even as she's constantly harassing others with her whip - in case two she wants wright to strive for justified self-defence , not necessarily a fully guilty sentence until wright refuses to play by her rules ... and later in case 4 she can't understand why wright would be so okay with a loss on his record due to everything she's been taught and considers herself a failure for not being able to take her place in court and finally get her 'revenge' and then she's shown a form of kindness from edgeworth and even wright and i'm sure such a thing was probably a rarity for her ... she's been so openly antagonistic yet has the capacity for change ... i've grown to like her more as i came across her each time whereas i was indifferent before but put away the whip physical abuse is not acceptable behaviour



overall , it's definitely hit-or-miss in places but was undeniably still a wild ride , for better or worse and the fourth case again makes it all worth it even if the stuff before it isn't quite as spectacular , i still rather enjoy it although i will become mvk and speedrun big top every time i have to play it again

(note: played through the trilogy collection on switch)
i had always heard about this series and seen some memes and skits and generally understood it was 'haha funny lawyer game' and it is that and so much more . so , so much more . outside of memes i had actually hardly known a thing about this game but the name kept floating everywhere so i always knew /of/ it but only a single speck of sand's worth /about/it so one day after revisiting random encounters and getting its' musical on it stuck in my head i coudlnt get it out and at this time i was desperate for a new hyperfixation and my brain was latching on - i had to know what this was finally all about . and was it one of the best impulse purchases i've made bc it's only been a few days and i am absolutely obsessed and completely understand the hype and reverence and i may be jumping the gun like larry butz with a new girlfriend but i think this may be one of my favourite things ever now and i don't see that changing ...
here i'll go over parts of the included 5 cases and share some scattered thoughts about what makes up the rest of the game ... i've never really been good at transition sentences in essays so this is my attempt at one and i've spent countless hours trying to write this thing so even tho it'll be a little messy i hope it's comprehensible enough since jumbled is just my style



[EPISODE ONE -]

good introduction to the world of aa without overwhelming you too much
wright and the player both being new and nervous about their first case helps endear the player to wright more since you grow with him along the way ... outside of those two things there's really not too much else to say about this one tho and while it's good at these things the second case expands on them further and is more memorable and plot-focused ... case in point i don't even remember what this case is called while i do the others so i elected to title these breaks 'episode _' instead



[EPISODE TWO -]

this one for me was rather tough and i felt like quite the idiot ... i'm not sure comparatively how long it 'should've ' taken but it took me like 2 or 3 hours i think ? i was quite stumped a few times but i think it can be excused by my still fumbling around finding my footing with the game
i love how after his first case being a success wright has to immediately grapple with the loss of his mentor and has to defend her sister and later on himself although the ending with the whole deus ex miachina thing felt a littttle ... annoying for want of a better word ... underwhelming perhaps ... ? i understand that it's only wright's second-ever case so he's still nervous and new to the game (much like the player) but it does make him feel quite a bit incompetent ... and like yeah he definitely can be but idk something about it just kinda bothers me a bit and i felt it could've been done a little better rather than 'damn i can't pin this guy guess i'll die' "i have come from the grave to tell you to flip over this note" 'oh dang i didn't think about that' i feel for what we got though it's still a decent case (stares longingly at taaams interpretation of the episode)



[EPISODE THREE -]

while some people might complain about this one not having much plot relevance and call it filler i think it's necessary enough ... sure it's not super deep like the other episodes excluding 1 but i feel it serves as a break between two emotional cases for our characters and as a decent preparation for episode 4 as this case gives wright more experience with being an attorney and the player more experience with a longer case (although as i'll go onto mention it would've done well to be a little shorter) + it also offers some early depth on edgeworth and we get to understand him just a little more as an appetiser of sorts before we dive into the feast that is turnabout goodbyes
i caught onto the killer as soon as she was mentioned and i felt like a 1000 iq genius when this case went pretty smoothly for me compared to my rather rocky start with the first two although i did feel a little fatigued during the third investigation ... as i mentioned i do agree that it should've been a bit shorter but overall i did still enjoy this one i think more than others might've but i suppose it's not really got much else to say for itself ...



[EPISODE FOUR -]

hell . fucking . yes .
everything finally bleeds out into the open here but it doesn't feel like an exposition dump and it feels well paced i hardly noticed how much time had truly passed i took about 8 hours and it never once felt tiring
i was on the verge of tears multiple times (mostly bc the emotional moments really got to me ... others bc i was very stressed in the trials i had to take a few minutes break after each one and i chewed quite a bit of gum throughout to help get my brain thinking) and after i finished the episode i had to take like an entire day to reflect on it
sure it can be cheesy and not to mention absolutely bonkers but god damn it if i don't absolutely love it for that . same applies to the whole game really
it's zany . it's serious . it's emotional . it's insane . it's heartwrenching . it's bullshit . it's touching . the parrot is a witness and i'm crying over edgeworth
little detail i love wright's fierce and unbending faith in edgeworth and how he'll do anything to stand up for him just as miles had done for him all those years ago . like in case 3 when mia questions wright if he thinks powers is guilty the player has a dialogue choice in whether or not they doubt his innocence - here you don't bc wrights belief in his friend is that strong . i just think that's really touching and adds just that little bit more to it
all this ... and we still don't know what grossberg was doing at the boat shack ... unless you watch taaam ;)



[EPISODE FIVE -]

really good but jesus it was way too long . 15 hours . my god . granted again i am a little incompetent and kept getting stuck on stupid parts (i failed to notice the glove in the bg for like 30 minutes or longer despite doing literally everything else) and about an hour or two was actually time taken up by breaks but point still stands holy hell it's so loooong
this episode ... i don't know how to explain it but something about the way it's written feels noticeably different compared to the other four ... like much so ... ? probably bc it was only the initial four in the original gba release so there was what a 4 year
time gap ? idk didn't affect my overall enjoyment much it again was just more apparent ... it also felt a bit more ... 'hand-holdy' and on the nose ... so like characters (mostly namely wright) woukd more often think stuff like 'wow i wonder if this has relation to something i could bring that up now' and like i kinda felt talked down to at times like with the chessboard in edgeworth's office i had already picked up on the symbolism before they even mentioned it but then they just had to blatantly spell it out and it kinda annoyed me slightly and i dont recall the other cases being quite as much in your face with that stuff ? but hey , at least there's no magical mia ! well except for like a glimmer there but ig that's moreso wright thinking about what she would say ... also what was with the first part and starr's overwhelming hatred of prosecutors and how it seemed someone was trying to make them look bad with lana accused of murder and constant doubt thrown onto edgeworth but then it seems like nothing is really done with this idea except pushing edgeworth into thinking of resigning ig but i still don't fully get the motive there if that was at all intended ... ig in universe it's just a coincidental side effect perhaps ... still felt like it was leading onto something more tho ...
besides those few gripes indeed this was a good episode and i'm glad it was included . the mysteries were engaging and i think the forensics parts were really interesting and helped shake up the overly long investigation segments + i love the mental image of wright running around spraying every last inch of the room he's in with the luminol and ema wondering how there's anything still left in that bottle
i also think it was this episode that made me laugh the most and even though this one tired me the most from its longevity i still very much enjoyed this episode and i was so happy to see the blue badger die in the credits <3



[(mostly) EVERYTHING ELSE]

this game is an absolute riot it had me doubled over laughing in mirthful tears on multiple occasions (read: almost every minute) and there were quite a few times i fell almost comically back onto my bed like a knocked over plank of wood just out of pure disbelief and i was comparatively like edgeworth screaming at a drawing of the blue badger it's no wonder this series has such been memed it's just that funny

the music and sfx really contribute a lot to this game . i wouldn't say it's exactly extraordinary but it is absolutely iconic and recognisable and playing without it is a crime . it really kicks up the atmosphere and it just wouldnt be a complete experience muting it like the music cutting out when a revelation is made or you're getting to a key point and the music slowly kicks back in and did i mention the sfx reaallllyyyy adds like 2 extra points to the whole experience like i never usually pay as much attention to sfx in most things but they really shine fantastically here that it's hard to ignore

the characters are all so damn good . yes edgeworth is my favourite what an original take but it's very easy to understand why he's so popular and largely beloved ... that i instead am going to talk more about wright who i also love immensely he's easily one of if not my favourite video game protagonist he's filled with so much personality and most of his traits are very admirable and i love his flaws too ... also for whatever reason i felt very connected to him ... it's probably the shared strong sense of justice and i super respect him standing up for what he believes in with a willpower of steel and defending those when no one else will ... i also love how much of a straightman (ha as if) wright is in comparison to the other wacky characters around him yet he himself is still rather goofy in his own ways i love that he canonically loves showing off his badge at every opportunity and i also love that he's a little pathetic at times yet simultaneously incredibly smart he's full of shit and his antics turn out to do well in uncovering hidden truths .. what a lad

gant was easily my favourite culprit mvk is also super good but where he is cold and ruthless gant can be too /but/ he's so much more threatening through his initial kind and fun demeanour and how he will stare at you with a hawks eyes and laugh accusations off with a cheery guffaw ... how he doesn't need to do much to get people to be afraid of him yet still be regarded highly by so many until the truth finally comes out and it felt SOOOO good to whip out the book and rub it in his face

i love the feeling of the absolute brainblast you get when figuring stuff out and i found myself physically pointing and almost verbally saying 'OBJECTION' 'HOLD IT' 'TAKE THAT' and most importantly 'THIS BADGE PROVES THAT I AM A LAWYER' + it feels really good to prove when someone is spewing rubbish and when you can bring about the truth ... as someone with a very strong sense of justice and carrying importance in correct information it always deeply irritated me when someone wouldn't believe me even when i was telling the truth or they just refused to listen despite proof so getting the chance to prove that you're right in what you believe in and prevailing against all odds is such a satisfying and amazing feeling .

i think it's a little amusing how a videogame about being a lawyer sounds boring on paper (as was my family's reaction when they asked what i was so excited about) yet in reality is absolutely anything but ... you really just have to be there and give it a chance to understand that it is indeed as good as everyone says and well deserves it's high acclaim ... whenever i think of this series i can feel a little glow in my heart and electricity coursing through my blood i hold so much love for this franchise and these characters already and i hardly even know much about it yet i still have all the others to go through and i'm so looking forward to it <3