So, with the franchise almost complete in the West (come on, Ace Attorney Investigations 2!), we had a chance to speak to the compilation’s producer, Kenichi Hashimoto. We spoke about the 3DS, the future of Phoenix Wright, and listening to feedback on the previous Ace Attorney collections on Switch.
Nintendo Life: For those who have only played the Phoenix Wright Trilogy or The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, what can players expect from the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy?
Kenichi Hashimoto, Producer: Those who’ve only played Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy can look forward to seeing the way fan-favourite returning characters like Phoenix and Edgeworth have changed throughout the series. Despite its limited narrative connections with the mainline Ace Attorney games, those who have only played The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles may also enjoy the text-based adventures being offered in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy. Be sure to check it out!
There has been a lot of demand to see the last remaining Ace Attorney games come to consoles, particularly after the 3DS eShop closure. Did this affect your decision to bring these games onto modern platforms?
We were aware of the fans’ wishes and are elated to be able to respond to that demand by porting the fourth, fifth, and sixth mainline entries in the Ace Attorney series to modern consoles with Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy.
Was the process of bringing these DS and 3DS games over to Switch similar to the porting process of The Great Ace Attorney series? Were there any particular challenges the team encountered?
The design for every scene of each game in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is similar to The Great Ace Attorney games in some ways and vastly different in others. As a result, there were some similarities in the porting processes for both collections, but we also had to take a unique approach for some components in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy.
In terms of challenges we encountered, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is in 2D while Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice are both in 3D. This difference posed some challenges for us, but we’re pleased with the final outcome.
Did you take any feedback on board from the Ace Attorney Trilogy or The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles releases?
We certainly did. The fourth game didn’t have a chapter select option when it originally released. In Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy, players can freely select what episode they want to play, as well as specific chapters within those episodes.
Are there any cases in this trilogy that you think newcomers will particularly fall in love with? Or do you have a favorite?
There’s a great deal of variety among the episodes in this collection, so everyone is bound to find at least one case that they like. My personal favorite is “Turnabout Reclaimed,” which is the Special Episode from Dual Destinies.
Are there any particular Capcom characters you and the team would love to see Phoenix, Apollo and/or Ryunosuke defend in court?
The card game TEPPEN included an illustration where Dan from the Street Fighter series was being defended in court. If other Capcom characters were wrongly accused of committing a crime, I think it could be fun to see them being defended by one of the Ace Attorney series’ protagonists.
After the Apollo Justice Trilogy, what’s next for the Ace Attorney series? Is it safe to assume something new is in the works or will this mark the end of the franchise?
I don’t think that Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy marks the end of the Ace Attorney series. There are no announcements about the franchise’s future at this time, but please stay tuned for updates in the future!
This interview has been edited lightly for clarity.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy takes to the stands on 25th January 2024 on Nintendo Switch. Will you be stepping up with Phoenix, Apollo, and Athena? Let us know in the comments.