Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Third-Party 3DS Series Perfect for the Switch
Ace Attorney has been a stable series for Nintendo handhelds since the original DS, casting players as a fledgling defense attorney by the name of Phoenix Wright. The franchise was defining for adventure-visual novels, and each games tells a gripping story about murder, betrayal, and courtroom drama. The brilliant thing about each Ace Attorney game is that it plays out in multiple self-contained cases that also tie into an overall narrative within the overall game, and oftentimes the franchise. Wacky and colorful characters always populate the trials, with equally absurd animations. Because of this, Phoenix Wright seems like a sure fit for the Nintendo Switch, especially considering it’s been on Nintendo consoles for so many years.
The portable nature of the Switch means a visual novel style game is perfect to take on the go, popping in here and there to see what happens next. At the same time, Phoenix Wright has moved into 3D with the last couple entries instead of 2D sprites and it’d be great to see a fully realized and rendered experience on a more powerful home console. Using the Switch hardware would allow Capcom to try new and inventive investigation techniques, while also providing even more flashiness and drama for the courtroom. This all holds especially true considering the plot lines that the last entry, Spirit of Justice, established.
