Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All Review for Nintendo Wii

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All box art

System: Wii (WiiWare), DS	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Capcom	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: Capcom	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Feb. 15, 2010	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Teen	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

Presenting evidence can be a bit risky though, as showing the wrong piece of evidence at the wrong time will grant you a penalty. However, unlike the previous Phoenix Wright title, which limited you to only five missteps per trial, Justice for All instead gives you a green life bar. Depending on the importance of the evidence or how off base you are, you'll lose a portion of this bar when you make a misstep. I thought this worked much better than the previous five errors and you're done format.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All screenshot

This same set up is also used for the new Psyche-Lock feature found when in the investigative mode, which essentially functions like a cross-examination during the out of court segments. Characters that have something to hide will have chains and locks appear around them, with the appropriate evidence being the only way to unlock their hidden thoughts. The major benefit of this, besides getting the crucial information that they're hiding, is that successfully unlocking these secrets will also help to refill portions of your green bar, giving you some extra chances for when you return to court.

Since this game is basically just a port of the DS version of Justice for all, there is really no argument that it is still a really good game. However, the decision to purchase this game would seemingly come down to a few key factors. If you already own the DS version or are looking for something new out of this title, then don't bother spending your cash. Besides the ability to swing your arm to present evidence and having a much larger display, there is nothing here you haven't seen before.

If this will be your first time purchasing this game, I'd certainly suggest that you might want to get this version as opposed to the DS one, as long as portability isn't an issue. First off, it comes in at about a third of the price. Secondly, it is nearly identical to the DS version in every way. And lastly, if you have a family member or friend who also enjoys the series, being able to play the game on the much larger screen opens up the possibility of them helping you to find evidence and exploring the mysteries of these cases. The game may not be two-player in terms of having two players controlling the on-screen action, but playing through this game with another attentive person's input and theories can be a very rewarding experience.

By Adam Brown
CCC Staff Contributor

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.3

Graphics
The visuals definitely show their roots due to being blown up to fit a television screen, but despite being somewhat jagged they still manage to look mostly decent.

3.8

Control
Since the game is basically a point-and-click text adventure, the controls don't really factor in too much. In short, everything works well but some Wii-specific controls such as pointer support would have been nice additions.

3.9

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
While clearly limited due to its DS roots, everything from the murmurs of an astonished courtroom to the banging of the gavel are still quite enjoyable.

4.2

Play Value
This game is an entertaining experience full of mystery, well thought out cases, and clever, often comical dialogue. With around fifteen to twenty hours of gameplay to be had, the ten dollar price tag also seems quite cheap.

3.8

Overall Rating - Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

As Phoenix Wright, you'll play through four shocking new cases in first-person perspective!

The game features two unique game play modes.

In Investigations Mode you'll survey crime scenes, interview witnesses, and gather evidence.

You'll then present findings, listen to testimonials, and examine witnesses in Court Mode.

Justice For All also includes a new "Psyche-Lock" feature that allows Phoenix to use a line of questioning to reveal inconsistencies in witness testimony.