#case discussion

While it seems that the state case is moving the fastest, and they had previously requested to have the federal case be tried first, I think it will end up being helpful for the state proceedings to go first. Firstly, the judge seems reasonable. Not much of what’s happening in these cases are reasonable, but judge Carro seems to be fairly impartial. This is helpful because courts are heavily persuaded by the law to adopt the judgments of other courts on identical issues. They do not have to (the Full Faith and Credit Clause doesn’t pointedly apply, and stare decisis applies only to final rulings of law), but they are very heavily encouraged by the law to adopt other courts judgments on the same issue to avoid multiple litigations (lol) or inconsistent judgments/confusions of the law. All this to say, it seems like it will be NY state that could set the stage for the other cases treatment of the evidentiary issues. Honestly, I prefer this to the current unpredictability of federal court temperaments lately (especially in political cases).

Evidentiary hearings and motion practice are soooooo important to any case. In litigation, they say that if the trial is the performance, then motion practice and pretrial hearings are the script and setting the stage. These next several hearings will tell us a lot about the defense’s strategy as well as the court’s temperaments to all of the raised arguments so far. This is where the legal game starts getting played. Essentially, whoever succeeds on their motions and evidentiary requests are far more likely to succeed — especially in this case (obviously).

At this particular hearing, I’m not sure exactly what to expect. There are so many arguments and motions pending that have not been addressed by the court. I do not think we will get any significant rulings, since Huntley and Mapp hearings must be scheduled separately. They may request those hearing settings and focus on some of Karen’s other arguments. I think this will be our longest hearing yet, and be the most likely to give us insight to the probable outcomes of the state case.

Don't call it a comeback! Welcome to 4-2, our first full-fledged case of the Apollo Justice Trilogy! This case is one of the cornerstones (get it?) of the trilogy, building up our core cast and introducing plenty of characters that are gonna be vital to the series coming up. 4-2 was one of the first cases I ever played, so I've got quite a few thoughts on it. Let's see if 4-2 lives up to 4-1's standards or if it fails at the last lap!

Also, I hope y'all like the new title format. I think it makes everything stand out a bit more! I'm gonna go back to all the cases I've already reviewed and add the new format to those ones, as well, so take a look if you wanna!

THE CORE CAST:

Apollo Justice: Fresh out of a job and shit outta luck, Apollo decides to swallow his pride and take up Phoenix on his offer... for better or for worse!

Phoenix Wright: Phoenix returns as both a victim and our boss in this case: not a murder victim, thankfully!

Trucy Wright: Trucy Wright is Phoenix's mysterious daughter from the last case: a magician by trade and... well, definitely a little old to be Phoenix's biological daughter, right?

Klavier Gavin: Klavier Gavin, the brother of Kristoph Gavin, serves as the prosecutor in this case. Does he know about our role in his brother's arrest?

Ema Skye: ema ema ema ema ema ema ema ema ema

THE MAIN CAST:

Wocky Kitaki: Wocky Kitaki is our defendant and the heir of the infamous Kitaki crime family. He's a bit of a hothead... and a lot of an idiot.

Alita Tiala: Alita Tiala is Wocky's fiancee. Despite deciding to marry the son of a yakuza boss of all people, she seems to be rather timid.

Wesley Stickler: Wesley Stickler is an Ivy U (sound familiar?) student entranced by magic tricks and their logical impossibilities. He looks like somebody, but... y'know, I never could put my finger on it.

Guy Eldoon: Although he never takes the stand in 4-2, Guy Eldoon is a pivotal cast member: after all, if he wasn't here then the case wouldn't have proceeded like it did!

THE SECONDARY CAST:

"Little" Plum Kitaki: Little Plum Kitaki is the wife of Winfred Kitaki, the oyabun of the Kitaki family. Despite her jovial demeanor, she's quick to deal with threats to her or her family.

Winfred "Big Wins" Kitaki: Winfred "Big Wins" Kitaki is the oyabun, or boss, of the Kitaki crime family. Recently, however, he seems to be turning a new leaf: behind those massive eyebrows are far sadder, far friendlier eyes.

Pal Meraktis: Pal Meraktis is our victim. He was a greedy, gaudy, paranoid quack, and the lifelong rival of one Guy Eldoon.

A BRIEF RECAP

Our mysterious narrator gives a monologue as various scenes flash forth. A man is hit by a car, a girl chases after somebody, and a man blows a harmonica in the middle of the night. All the while, a man drags a large cart behind him before meeting somebody in the middle of a park.

A gunshot rings out... and somebody dies.

Ooh, 3D!

Investigation, Day One

It's been two months since 4-1. Apollo told himself he'd never come "here", but he's got no choice: he's out of a job and out of options. Walking in, we're welcome to the...

Wright & Co.... Law... Offices? Well, it's certainly gone through a few renovations. There's junk all around, a new couch, a tea set, a piano—well, that one makes sense at least—even a guillotine to put your hand through. What happened to this place?

Suddenly, a girl appears and asks us if we're here for the interview. This is Phoenix's daughter from 4-1! She asks us if we have any special talents, and after an awkward conversation where she tries us to be her attorney right then and there, she realizes the mix-up. This isn't the Wright & Co. Law Offices. This is the Wright Talent Agency! After telling us we've come to the Wright place, she introduces herself: meet Trucy Wright, CEO of the Wright Talent Agency and practicing magician!

Okay, now she's too old to be Maya's.

Talking with Trucy, we learn that she's only 15—impressive to be a CEO and a professional magician at such a young age!—and that some sort of "incident" made Phoenix lose his badge. Here we are again! What exactly happened seven years ago? Apollo says he doesn't know the details, but in any case we were called here by Phoenix himself. Trucy tells us that he's not here. He's in the hospital! Trucy tells us he's staying in the Hickfield Clinic and we decide to visit him. Trucy decides tags along!

Mr. Wright's hospital room is decorated with a swaying, swaying pillar of Steel Samurai DVDs and one small toy piano. Wonder who sent him those, hint hint nudge nudge. Before we can examine them, though, we see a familiar face: a creepy old doctor! It's Hotti! Hotti, who now claims his name is "Hickfield", creeps on Trucy before Phoenix kindly refrains from rightfully beating the shit out of him and gets to talking with us. He tells us what happened: he was hit by a car! Thankfully, he didn't sustain any major damage, only spraining his ankle once he was stopped by a sturdy light pole. We also get to talking about Trucy. Phoenix dodges the question, telling us that Trucy isn't just a stage magician—she's a genius. She glows at the compliment and he tells us that we'll soon appreciate her talent. Whatever that means. Maybe she's a Fey after all...

Apollo asks why Phoenix called him anyways. Phoenix made up a story about the Wright and Co.-, er sorry, Wright Talent Agency, being in big trouble. He says that he didn't make anything up: he was hit by a car, after all. It's big trouble in little LA. After a little joint father-daughter guilt tripping, he manages to get us to look for whoever hit him.

Tokyo drift!

Apollo goes to leave and Phoenix apologizes: he was just joking around. He tells us that we do have a real client waiting for us at the Wright Talent Agency! After asking us to look into his accident as a favor, we leave the Clinic and go back to the Wright Talent Agency. Getting to the WTA, we meet our client: an old salty man with ramen hair and discolored eyebrows. This is Guy Eldoon, owner of Eldoon's Noodles! He tells us to not let him down, but when we get to asking about his trial, he doesn't know what we're talking about. He's not our client for a court case: he's our client in the Mystery of the Missing Noodle Stand! Guy explains that he's from a long line of noodle makers, and that back during Phoenix's days as an attorney he and Maya would drop by Guy's father's own stand all the time. He tells us the story: last night, he closed up his stand after a day of work. When he woke up, it was gone! Vanished into thin air! He gives us a good luck wish before sending us off to find the missing stand! That's not all, though. Trucy has her own request: last night, she was the victim of a theft herself! A victim...

...of a panty snatcher! Dun-dun-dun! That's three mysteries to solve, baby! Trucy marks the scene of the crime, which is conveniently the WTA itself, and tells us to get cracking on the car accident, the missing cart, and the stolen panties! With no other choice and with the vague hope of getting paid, we set off to the streets of Los Angeles! We decide to head over to the scene of Phoenix's accident first. There's paint splashed everywhere, and there's a lady sweeping it up: we go to ask her some questions while keeping nearby People Park in mind and Apollo goes to leave. This isn't just any lady. This is none other than "Little" Plum Kitaki!

Talking with Little Plum, we learn she was a witness to Phoenix's accident. When the car hit him, it also splattered buckets of paint all over the Kitaki Mansion's front door! Hinting that she got rid of some garbage, we check out the trash can in front of People Park and find a broken-off side mirror alongside a discarded pair of slippers: but not before crossing paths with a strange young woman wistfully at the park. The lady disappears and we take the mirror with us in our search for the mysterious hit-and-runner! When we try to take a closer look at the park, though, a certain "Detective Skye" interrupts an argument we're having with the police officer posted out front.

...Wait, Detective Skye?!

the SMILE on my face dude

It's none other than our good old friend Ema Skye, all grown up! She was so pretty she crashed my game. Before we can talk to her, she kicks us out of the crime scene. We ask Little Plum and she tells us that it was "Chicago Lightning": gunshots! Somebody was killed last night. Furthermore, there was one more crime last night... a panty raid on the Kitakis! Our serial panty snatcher didn't just steal from Trucy: he stole from hardened criminals! Trucy forces us into looking for her bloomers, and hey, maybe having a mob matriarch owe us a favor isn't such a bad idea. The mysterious lady returns and greets Plum as "mother". Turns out that she's also a Kitaki! Trucy gives her a flyer for the Wright Talent Agency—rechristened the Wright Anything Agency—and we're done here for now. Time to go over to Guy's place!

Guy's house is situated next to the very ostentatious Meraktis Clinic. The clinic just so happens to have a police car parked outside and Trucy wants to investigate and tells us that's where the panty snatcher ran off to, but we need to talk to Guy! He interrupts us and we get to talking about his stand. It was stolen sometime between 10 PM and early this morning, and everything that he needs for his business was inside: his stock, his bowls, and his pots. Trucy brings up that her thief ran into the garage of the clinic and Guy gets mad: it seems like he hates the owner. Checking out Meraktis Clinic, we note the presence of a police car outside and the fact that it's closed down. The officer brushes us off and we ask Guy about it. He tells us that the owner, presumably one Dr. Meraktis, works for the "wrong crowd" and "got what was coming to him". There's a lot of bad blood here. Given the police presence, the closed clinic, and the fact that Meraktis worked for the "wrong crowd", could he be involved with our murder in the park?

Sneaking into the garage, we've already solved one job: the mystery of the hit-and-runner! The side mirror in Trucy's pocket lines up perfectly to the side mirror on the car. Our mysterious driver was Dr. Meraktis! Checking out the car a bit more, we notice something stuffed in the tailpipe (sound familiar?). Pulling it out, Trucy goes wild—it's her panties! Showing off a magic trick for us, she explains that they're not underwear: they're a prop for one of her most popular tricks!

Seriously, don't mention it.

Well, at the very least, that's two mysteries solved. Now all we need to do is find Guy's noodle stand. Trucy wants us to track down the panty-nabber, but we don't know where to start! Continuing to check out the garage, we find a pink cell phone under one of the tires. That's everything for the garage, so let's head back to the Hickfield Clinic and tell Phoenix we've found his car. Well, not his car, but–y'know what I mean. Talking to Phoenix, he tells us that he's heard of the Meraktis Clinic. Like Guy, he has nothing good to say. He tells us what Guy only tapdanced around. The Meraktis Clinic has ties to organized crime! The Kitaki Family, to be precise. Meraktis helps them deal with the injuries they can't take to public hospitals: gunshot wounds, stuff like that. Phoenix gives us his thanks and sends us off to find the noodle stand.

We're interrupted when we stop by the WAA by the lady we saw meeting Little Plum: introducing herself as Alita Tiala, she asks us for defense. In court! We've got an actual case on our hands! We're not defending her, though. She's come on behalf of her fiancée: one Wocky Kitaki, son of Little Plum and heir to the Kitaki Family. She tells us that he's been charged with murder—the murder that happened at the park, no less! The victim was shot with a pistol, and apparently the circumstances are "unusual", but we don't get anything else about the murder from her. She gives us a letter of request and head down to People Park. We try getting in, but we're stopped by the officer and interrupted by...

...Mr. Gavin?

This mysterious new Gavin lets us into the crime scene personally. Guess we've found Eldoon's stand: it looks like it was being pushed by either a Weeping Angel cosplaying as a police officer or the victim! That's all three mysteries wrapped up. Gavin takes his leave and Ema takes his place, asking us how we get in. We tell her about Gavin and her mood immediately sours: she angrily calls him a "glimmerous fop" and pouts about him getting in her way. Guess she's also got some bad blood. We give her Alita's letter of request and she reluctantly lets us look around. Ema tells us that the mannequin is taking the place of the victim's body: the victim was dragging the noodle stand! Ema formally introduces herself as Detective Ema Skye, in charge of the crime scene and visibly upset about it. What happened to make Ema so bitter since 1-5?

When we try to talk to her about the case...

...she cuts us off with a snack break, complaining about "not getting the position she requested" after nine years of being out of the country. All we can really do is look around, then. When we try to look at the crime scene, Ema cuts us off, saying that investigations should be done by professionals: done scientifically. Guess she still has that forensics special interest. We have nothing else to do here, so we go back to Guy's house to tell him that we've found his stand. He's not home! Guess we'll need to take Phoenix up on his offer of giving us help when we're stuck. Going back to talk to him, we tell him about the murder. He reveals (shockingly!) that he knows Ema from years ago. Trucy brings up the mysterious new Gavin and Phoenix tells us his name: Klavier Gavin, the younger brother of Kristoph Gavin and "rock'n'roll god incarnate". He tells us to give Ema a bottle of white powder hidden under a top hat in the WAA. We retrieve it and give it to Ema. It's a bottle of fingerprinting powder!

Cocaina. No, flour. Somebody just asked me why I hate the military...

We show it to Ema and her mood quickly changes. When Trucy asks her how she knows Phoenix, she's shocked: she didn't know that he had a daughter! Our relationship with Phoenix turns her mood around 180. She's happy to cooperate in any way she can! Ema tells us to use the powder on any evidence that might have fingerprints on it. Digging around the crime scene, we find a small knife. Using the powder on it, we figure out who was holding it it: our client, Wocky Kitaki. At the very least, we know that this isn't the murder weapon: the victim was killed via gunshot. As someone who took a forensics class in high school for a semester, yes, this is as fun as it sounds. Fingerprints rock.

There's a piece of cloth sticking out of a nearby trashcan. We go over to investigate and find... a pair of bloomers. These must be Little Plum's. There's little else here. Talking with Ema, we learn that the victim was killed by a bullet wound to the temple. Furthermore, we learn the name of our victim. It's none other than Pal Meraktis, the driver who hit Phoenix! Ema gives us a copy of the autopsy report and we tell Ema about Guy Eldoon, saving her the trouble of finding him. The real question is why Pal stole the stand in the first place. We don't have the answer to that question and decide to ask Ema about her story. She was studying in Europe to become a forensic scientist, but when she came back to the States she was forced into detective work! No wonder she's so bitter. Talking about the defendant, she tells us that Wocky is causing quite the stir in the Detention Center. We ask her why he was arrested and she tells us that they've got an eyewitness.

Greeeeeeeeeeeat.

Heading down to the Detention Center, we're late to the party: Wocky's busy talking with his father, Winfred "Big Wins" Kitaki, and we get to overhear the conversation. It's, er, more of a screaming match than a father-son talk. Wocky yells at his father to die and that he's on his way out: Big Wins exits the room and meets us. He tells us that Wocky is innocent, and if he's found guilty then it won't end well.

Wocky interrupts us, saying that he did kill Pal. Big Wins tells us that he didn't, tells us to not let him down tomorrow, and the first day of investigation comes to a close with an invitation from Trucy to watch her at the Wonder Bar!

Trial, Day Two

We have a small talk with Trucy before trial begins. Phoenix isn't here, claiming that his "old foot injury" is acting up again, and after we show off our Chords of Steel to Trucy, Wocky comes in. He asks that we get him a guilty verdict and Big Wins comes in to tell him off. Before we can talk with Wocky at all, trial starts!

It looks like Mr. Klavier Gavin isn't just a rockstar—he's a prosecutor! Hope he doesn't have any hard feelings about what happened with Kristoph. He says that he's here to see the "true strength" of the "little boy who bested [his] brother"... yikes. Maybe there is some bad blood there. In any case, Klavier livens up the atmosphere with some music and we get rolling!

Ooh, an FPS counter!

Apollo is thoroughly unamused with Klavier's antics. Getting right down to business, he explains the facts of the case as we already know them: our victim is Pal Meraktis, shot dead while pulling a noodle stand in People Park. Klavier is quick into jumping into the motive. We object, saying that he's not obligated to testify, and he counters with a clean comeback. Wocky himself wants to testify about his motive! We've been blindsided twice in maybe 5 minutes: talk about a Blitzkrieg Bop...

We're on to our first bit of testimony. Wocky testifies that Meraktis was a quack, telling the court about a botched operation that happened about half a year ago. Pressing him for more information, we learn quite what this operation was about: he was on Rivales family turf and got shot in an ambush. Klavier explains that he was shot in the heart, no less.

fuuuuuuuuuuuck dude that rivales guy is cold as shiiiiiiiit

Wocky testifies that he was passing through People Park to get to Meraktis Clinic to get the drop on Pal: so they just happened to meet in People Park on accident? After pressing through every statement, His Honor cuts off the cross-examination. He's curious as to why it took Wocky so long to figure out what had happened. Klavier explains that the bullet was only found during a recent health checkup, and after Wocky says it's better to die young than to fade away he reveals an uncomfortable truth. The bullet in Wocky's heart? It will kill him. He provides Wocky's check-up report to the court to prove as much.

Wocky is taken off the stand and our first witness is called up—a student at Ivy U (hey, that's Phoenix's alma mater!) named Wesley Stickler. Jeez, this guy's tangents. Anyways, he's more than willing to give us his first testimony. Wesley testifies that he was passing through People Park on his way home. He saw Wocky and Pal, with Wocky holding a pistol and pointing it at Pal before pulling the trigger. There's one issue with his testimony—Wesley says that Pal was shot in the forehead when we know that he was shot in the temple. Before cross, though, Klavier produces said pistol.

Pretty heavy weaponry. ...Even if it's pretty clearly just supposed to be a USP.

Trucy says that she feels like she's seen Wesley before. In any case, we present the autopsy report to his claim of seeing Wocky shoot Pal in the forehead. After bumbling for a bit, Apollo points out the problem: Pal was shot in the right temple, not the forehead! It's a solid contradiction... until Klavier pipes up. Klavier gives us a simple explanation. If you're walking through the park and see a man about to murder another man, you'd shout "stop". That's what Wesley did, Pal turned his head, and then Wocky shot him. Plain and simple.

Wesley gives his second testimony, this time about the fact that Pal turned his head. He cried out to the two of them, Pal turned his head, and then a gunshot rang out. Wocky threw the pistol down to the ground and ran away. The contradiction in this testimony is also pretty clear. After all, we didn't find a pistol at the scene... but we did find a knife with Wocky's fingerprints, thrown down onto the ground where he would've been standing! Furthermore, there aren't any fingerprints on the gun itself: if Wocky had both, why would there be fingerprints on the knife but not the gun? The gun had to have remnants of fingerprints, given that we know they were wiped away. But Wocky didn't have time to wipe the gun! Wocky threw down the knife. This proves that he didn't throw away a gun and that he wasn't wearing gloves!

Klavier counters that we've just proven that the "killer" Wesley saw was indeed Wocky and that he came to the park with the intention of killing Pal. His Honor asks for one more testimony, this time without any assumptions.

It does make an ass out of you and me.

Sticker is asked to testify about what happened after the shot was fired. Wesley says that he used his cell phone to call the police and didn't leave the scene. Pressing Wesley for more information, we don't get much to go off of: although Trucy looks like she has something to say. In fact, his testimony seems airtight! Klavier even manages to explain away the knife. Maybe it fell out of Wocky's pocket when he threw the gun away. It's a perfectly plausible explanation. With no room to go, His Honor is ready to call an end to today's proceedings... and pronounce a verdict!

Before he can do so, though... a scream racks the courtroom!

A dashin' assassin!

Trucy's being held at knifepoint! The hostage-taker says that unless the courtroom wants to see her die here and now the court must adjourn for a recess. With no other option, and with Klavier asking him to do so, His Honor acquiesces. Trucy calls for us to come to the defendant's lobby, and we rush there.

Returning to the defendant's lobby in a panic, we run into Trucy. She's, thankfully, safe and sound: and after calming us down reveals that there was no kidnapper. It was her trusty sidekick, the fantastic Mr. Hat! Trucy explains that what she was doing was buying time. Remember how we revealed Shadi hit Olga last case? It turns out that she's got the same ability—and she saw Wesley's tell! That's what was bothering her during his testimony. Calling back to the other times Wesley was unsure about his testimony, she points out that when he was unsure about his testimony he fiddled with the page of his book, and each time he was unsure there was a blatant contradiction! Once is a coincidence, but twice is a pattern. Trucy even tells us that this is the same way Phoenix went undefeated in poker for seven long years. She tells us that to get Wesley to crack we have to "perceive the truth". Before we can talk more, though, court reconvenes and we're forced back into the courtroom.

Apollo covers for Trucy, and even though His Honor buys it Klavier is totally on to her. We ask to cross-examine Wesley again, explaining that we forgot to ask a question. His Honor lets us get back to it with a strict warning against stalling. Wesley testifies the same exact testimony and we feel it: the bracelet on Apollo's arm clenches around his wrist. Questioning Wesley about his cell phone, the one part of his testimony where he's flipping through his book, we feel it again. Trucy tells us that this is it! We touch our bracelet...

...and suddenly we can see everything so much clearer.

Behold, my favorite mechanic in any Ace Attorney game!

After a brief pep talk with Trucy, we listen carefully to Wesley's testimony. We focus on his fingers, and sure enough right as he talks about his cellphone... he rubs his fingers together.

Gotcha.

We've got him now. Focusing on his cell phone in particular, we ask one question: what's his phone number? Klavier is obviously amused by wherever we're going with this and His Honor asks Wesley to tell the court his number. We ask Trucy to call it... and the other phone in her pocket starts ringing. It's Klavier's own music, no less. Flattering. Anyways, this was the phone we found in the Meraktis Clinic, remember? Right under Pal's car, no less! Everything's starting to make sense! Wesley lied about calling the police on his phone and admits that he used a payphone to call the police: a phone quite a distance away from the park, no less. Now we just have to figure out why he lied. The why is pretty simple: he didn't want the court to know about his location. Why? Because he broke into the garage! Wesley counters. We can't prove that he lost it that night!

Except that we can. Trucy herself did so the moment we found it: remember that it was Pal's car that hit Phoenix. If Wesley lost his phone earlier, it would've been crushed under his tire!

God, I love how this connects back to the investigation.

His Honor asks Wesley to testify one more time. This time, nothing but the truth! Trucy is still staring intently at him, though. Wesley testifies that he must've dropped his phone walking home from the supermarket. He still insists that he saw both Pal and Wocky in the park: his testimony, at its core, hasn't changed. Going into cross, we ask Wesley if he could show us the path he took coming home the night of the crime. He explains that he was walking home from the supermarket and passed by the Meraktis Clinic on his walk home, and that must've been when he dropped the phone. He walked into People Park from the northeast, straight from the Meraktis Clinic, and that's when he saw the crime.

I really, really like this map for some reason.

Asking more about his route to the park, we ask if he noticed anything suspicious. He firmly says that he didn't, so that's a dead lead for right now. We decide to ask him about the very moment of the crime: specifically about the noodle stand itself. After a moment, he says that he could even read the sign—it said "NOODLE" in big, bold letters.

Here's the thing. Mr. Eldoon's stand only says "NOODLE" on its right side... which was the side that was facing Wesley. He's even adamant that it said "NOODLE". Trucy takes over for us! She shows off her Wright heritage by explaining her own theory. If he's not lying, then that can only mean one thing. He was coming in to the park from the northeast, and was facing the crime scene from the north, not the South! Ergo, when he called out to Wocky and Pal the latter would've turned his head to the right, not the left. In other words, if Wocky shot him, the entry wound should be in his right temple, not his left temple! Wocky couldn't have seen his left temple, but since Wesley was standing from the north, he had a clear line of sight while Pal was still facing forward. Ergo! The only person that could've shot Pal in his left temple was Wesley himself!

Klavier objects, asking us to clarify if we're really accusing Wesley of murder. Trucy definitely wants to, but we take a second to think a bit more about it. Something still doesn't add up. Wesley is lacking a motive: Klavier himself said that there was no connection between he and Pal. Did we find anything near the Meraktis Clinic that he... could've...

...Ah, jeez.

Wesley might not be our killer, but he's definitely of a crime: theft. He's our panty snatcher! Trucy chased down Wesley and he hid in Meraktis Clinic, where he dropped his phone. In a panic, he stuffed Trucy's underwear in the muffler of Pal Meraktis's car! He desperately tries to defend himself, crying that it's not what it looks like before collapsing onto the witness stand.

A broken panty raider.

Wesley finally explains himself. Thankfully, he's not a pervert or a member of OVO: he'd seen Trucy perform her Magic Panties trick at the Wonder Bar and was desperate to see how it worked. As a scientist. Wesley admits that he was behind not just stealing Trucy's panties but a whole rash of panty thefts, all in an effort to try and understand how exactly the trick worked. His Honor wonders: why did Wesley lie about the direction he witnessed the crime from? This is easy to answer. Remember what we found in the trash can on the north side of the park? Another pair of panties. He was just disposing of Little Plum's bloomers in the trash.

Wesley admits to everything. He avoided the Wright Talent- well, now Anything Agency, but saw Plum's bloomers drying on a clothesline. As he was leaving to go home he witnessed the murder and disposed of the panties out of fear of being searched.

His Honor decides to end proceedings here. Klavier points out all the evidence pointing towards Wocky's guilt, and His Honor brings up the discrepancy with the entry wound: Wesley was viewing the crime from the north, meaning that Wocky couldn't have shot Pal in the right temple from where he was standing. With that question still being unanswered, His Honor sees fit to permit another day of investigation... and court comes to a close for the day!

Investigation, Day Two

Right after the trial concludes, we head back to the Wright Anything Agency. Trucy's taking the whole thing in stride, thinking about the publicity for her magic acts, while Apollo's clearly exhausted. While we're talking, who else shows up but Alita Tiala! She compliments us for our showing at the trial today and asks if Wocky will turn out okay: revealing that they're due to be wed just next month. Although we're curious about her decision to marry into the mafia, Alita explains that she truly loves Wocky and that they met at her old job. She's mum on what the old job actually was, though. She explains that Big Wins is trying to get out of the mob business, transferring all of his assets to a legal company out of the blue. Wonder what's going on?

The next Big Boss, you say?

Alita says that Big Wins focuses a lot on profit. Guess that explains the switch to a legitimate business operation. Wocky's the other way around: he doesn't care about profit, he cares about gangster tradition. We ask about Wocky's operation and his relationship with Pal. Alita doesn't explain much, but she disagrees with Klavier's claim that his life is in danger. We're curious about the operation itself, though. Alita takes her leave and we plan to head down to the Meraktis Clinic. Before we do that, though, we stop by the Detention Center. Maybe Wocky's ready to chat about his operation. When we get there, though, he's nowhere to be found: the guard informs us that the "other suspect" is free for an interview, though! Wesley Stickler sees us and freaks out, but he quickly calms down.

The first thing we ask about is the panty-snatching. He reiterates that he stole them out of curiosity, not for any other reason, and once he sees Trucy he outright grovels for the chance to learn magic from her: we tease Trucy, and she decides to back off. We ask him once more about what he saw during the murder. Wesley says that his testimony isn't changing—he saw both Wocky and Pal, shouted at them to stop, and a gunshot rang out.

Either way, this confirms beyond a shadow of a doubt that Wocky was at the scene of the crime. After we present the infamous Magic Panties, Trucy explains that they're actually just... normal underwear. It's all slight of hand, then? Heading back to Meraktis Clinic, we run into Little Plum in front of the Kitaki Mansion. She congratulates us on finding her bloomers and we talk about Wocky. Plum says that Wocky's simply not the type of person to shoot somebody: his bluster and bravado is just that, bluster and bravado. Like Wocky, Big Wins puts on his own gangster image, but deep down he cares deeply about his boy. She reiterates what Alita said about the family trying to move on to legitimate business operations, and after Trucy asks Plum explains that the old gangster life just isn't making enough money. Enough clean money. She even confirms that the pistol used in the murder was one of their own: one of their pistols has gone missing! None of the rank and file have access to weaponry, so it must've been one of the higher-ups. A higher-up like Wocky...

Talking about Alita, Plum makes it very clear that she's not a big fan of her and Wocky's relationship. Apparently their engagement was super sudden. She's about to say something but cuts herself off, blaming it on paranoia from being a gangster for too long. "Stay in the business too long," she says, "and you start to only see darkness in people." That's all she has to say. Hey, remember the trash can from yesterday? Trucy said there were two pieces of garbage inside. Taking a look, we find a pair of slippers from the Meraktis Clinic. There's even paint on the soles! They must've been thrown in here after Phoenix's accident. Some park keeper needs to be reprimanded for not taking out the trash...

That's all she wrote for the Kitaki Mansion, at least for right now. We continue our walk to the Meraktis Clinic and run into Guy Eldoon outside of his house. Guy thanks us for finding his stand, although he's rather salty about not being able to get it back. He says that Pal spites him "even in death": was there some sort of connection between the two? Guy spills his beans. Er, broth. Noodles? Whatever. He explains that he initially didn't want to be a noodle salesman like his forefathers, but Pal moving in next door forced his hand. Lamenting about his "stolen dreams"... maybe we've got a good idea of what he was before all of this happened. Guy explains that he hated Pal, exposing that he worked for the mafia: a fact which we already knew, but apparently he was also swimming in dough. He'd give illegal offers to the Kitakis and they'd come to him in return... with blood money in tow.

We ask and Guy tells the truth. He was a doctor before he became a noodle salesman. He was a surgeon until around two years ago, when Pal moved in and took over. Guy was left destitute and forced into the family noodle business. The two were lifelong rivals: everything Guy did, Pal just had to do better. What a loser. He apologizes for venting to us and gives us an offer—if we ever need a doctor, or any information about doctors, just stop by Eldoon's house. Heading over to the clinic, we're about to make our way in, but the police officer from the park stops us. No dice in investigating Meraktis Clinic... for now.

With nowhere else to really go, we head back to the Detention Center. We finally have a chance to talk with Wocky, and he briefly confuses us with Alita before finally talking to us. Now that we can finally talk with our client, we ask him the most important question: he's being married next month, right?

...I'm not Californian enough to understand this guy.

Trucy asks Wocky how the two met, but when he hears that Alita wouldn't tell us he stays quiet. Guess that's a dead end. She asks him about his relationship with Pal and we finally get somewhere. Wocky tells us the story: he walked into Rivales territory with a knife and got shot for violating their turf. He nearly died, but Kitaki made men helped him get out. Wocky swears that Pal didn't remove the bullet on purpose, certain that the Rivales family paid him off so that he would eventually die and the Kitaki family would be left heirless. Moving on to the Kitakis themselves, Wocky complains about Big Wins's turn towards legitimate operations. He's angry about the shift away from gangster tradition, that's for sure. The turn towards making money instead of keeping the gangster business running is a betrayal in his eyes. Wocky's clearly waiting for Big Wins to die so that he can taken over the Kitaki family... if he doesn't die first, that is.

We move on to talking about the weapons found at the crime scene: the pistol and the knife. Wocky confirms one last time that they're Family property and he even admits that he snuck them out. The "killer" that Wesley saw was, in fact, Wocky. Trucy butts in and asks him about the night of the crime—finally, we're getting somewhere! When we ask him if he shot Pal, though, he hits us with a very flat "I dunno". Well, that's better than "yes". Not by much, though... Wocky explains that he planned to kill Pal but he ran into him in the park. What actually happened is a little fuzzy. He doesn't remember exactly what happened but is pretty sure he had to have done it since there was nobody else there.

We've got nothing left to talk about with Wocky, so I guess there's nowhere else to go but People Park. I hate it when conversations just kind of abruptly end like this. Probably my biggest pet peeve in all of AA. Anyways, when we get there there's a huge throng of people outside of the park. They're not here for the murder scene, though... they're here to meet a rockstar!

Good to see you too, Prosecutor Spray Tan.

Klavier explains that his new album just dropped. He's got to wave to the fans, ja? He was on his way back home when his motorcycle stopped working: a clogged exhaust pipe. Hey, wait a minute. That rings a few bells! I wonder... Klavier explains that cars and motorcycles—anything with an exhaust pipe, really—won't run if it's clogged. Fun fact: that's actually true. Ignition engines like the ones cars and motorcycles use need to expel gas to work. That's why planes have those big-ass turbines on the side, so they can constantly take in new air. Anyways, Klavier takes his leave: but not before warning us that Ema is not in a good mood. Grumpy detectives and glimmerous prosecutors...

Ema is... Ema. She's upset about her new forensics kit not working, upset about us talking about her behind her back, and upset at Klavier for existing. I totally get two of those things, but... upset at people talking about you? I jest, I jest. She spits vitriol at the so-called "glimmerous fop" before we finally get to talk to her a bit. Ema's, understandably, rather private about SL-9. Can't blame her. She explains that she went to Europe right after to become a forensic investigator, but was forced into detective work after failing the test. A defiant Skye is a Skye nonetheless, however: she decided to do forensic work anyway, bringing along a new kit to play with.

And to think I didn't clock her as autistic on my first couple playthroughs...

Trucy asks what it is and Ema tells us that it's a footprint analysis kit. Y'know, you can't leave the house without it. Phone, keys, wallet, footprint analysis kit. She explains that it was raining on the night of the murder, meaning that there were footprints left in the mud from the incident. That must be why those tarps were there earlier! With the kit, we can tell exactly where somebody was standing. She offers it to us to try out, putting allegiances aside in the name of love- friendship. Friendship. Friendship. Sorry, Apollo, not yet.

Ema explains how the footprint analysis kit works. There are three sets of footprints at the park: a pair near the south road, Wesley's near the trash can, and a mysterious third print at the back of the noodle stand. Wonder how that got there? Anyways, Ema points out the prints near the road: those must be Wocky's. Since we know whose those are, they're a good control. After pouring in a cup of plaster, drying it, and rolling some ink over the bottom to make out the soleprint, we take out the mold and compare the print to his shoes. Sure enough, those prints are Wocky's! Looks like he stepped in some gum, too. Oof.

Doing some more footprint analysis, we confirm that the ones near the trash can are indeed Wesley's. As for the mysterious lone print near the noodle stand, we take it and... don't have a match. Huh. It doesn't even look much like a shoeprint. More like somebody got a leaf stuck to the bottom of their socks. Shudder. I wonder... taking a look at the slippers that we picked up from the trash can, sure enough they have a leaf imprint on the bottom. These are what left our mystery print. Why exactly is the print here in the first place, though? What were slippers from the Meraktis Clinic doing in the noodle stand? We ask Ema if she can get us access to the Merkatis Clinic. There's bound to be clues inside! Ema tells us that she should be able to do something for us and gives us a letter to show to the cop outside. Finally! We can explore the Meraktis Clinic! Er, investigate. Yes.

Before we leave, we ask about her animosity with Klavier. She explains that she's not really a fan of his style: she doesn't like the glimmer and flash, preferring prosecutors who are more "simmerous" than "glimmerous". Cool of wit, furrowed of brow. Sounds like somebody still has a crush... Ema also explains that she's pissed at him for "what happened seven years ago".

Is this what Kristoph meant by "revenge for the events that took away your attorney's badge seven years ago"?

Apollo is shocked by this and explains that he never really heard the details about what happened. Ema coolly tells us to investigate on our own. Touchy subject, I get it. Trucy certainly doesn't want to talk about it. Heading back to the Clinic, we show the officer Ema's letter and he reluctantly lets us in. Inside the Meraktis clinic, two things immediately stand out: a pile of bowls from Eldoon's Noodles and a pair of blue high heels on the ground near the slippers. It's starting to come together! Pal Meraktis stole Guy's noodle stand. Remember what Klavier said? What if it was because his car's engine was clogged? We take note of the bowls and the sandals near the slippers. In the back of the room is a door leading to the doctor's office. Trucy's just about to start bragging about her lockpicking skills when we hear a thump from inside the office! We rush inside but we're a bit too late to catch whoever was inside. The office itself is a mess. The window is busted open, there's a lamp on the floor, papers are flown everywhere... somebody broke into the Meraktis Clinic! But why? Who? When? Where? How? Three of those questions don't matter!

There's a cup of juice on the counter, but weirdly enough it's dried up. Either this person was searching around the clinic for way too long or it was spilled a while ago. Did something happen in this office beforehand? The lamp on the floor has a broken bulb. Weirdly enough, though, it's standing upright, like it was set down carefully. On the cord, there's a red splotch: a bit too bright to be blood, though. The last thing we look at is a safe on the shelf. Two numbers have been entered: this must be what our burglar was trying to get into!

We know that the first two numbers are 7 and 9. That only leaves 100 possible combinations! Time to get cracking. Apollo has a better idea, though, and whips out the jar of fingerprint powder. Sure enough, we get that 100 down to 2—it's either 7952 or 7925. 7 and 9 have glove marks, meaning our burglar was wearing gloves. No luck identifying them through the powder, then. Entering 7952 opens the safe, and inside we find two things of interest: a folder laying inside and a bullet embedded into the back of the safe! The folder contains a medical chart with an x-ray inside. The patient is "Wocky Kitaki", the doctor is "Pal Meraktis", and the nurse is... "Alita Tiala"? Looks like Plum's instincts were well-founded. We fish out the bullet and put it into the court record.

We rush back to Guy to learn what the chart's talking about. He's not home, though, so instead we run down to the Hickfield Clinic. Phoenix is happy to see us. We put the chart aside and finally ask him the big question: what happened seven years ago? Phoenix explains that seven years ago he was serving as the defense attorney for a client in a murder trial. He was up against Klavier, still in high school, and Phoenix says that he was ashamed that he was defeated by a 17 year old prodigy and left law forever. Apollo interjects.

Suddenly SL-9 feels so, so recent...

Phoenix doesn't respond to the accusation. Not directly, at least: he just asks Apollo how it feels to stand before Phoenix Wright, Forgin' Attorney. After all, he did forge evidence to get Kristoph convicted. "Maybe I did forge evidence, maybe I didn't," he says with a smirk. "It doesn't really matter now, does it?" Well, leave it to Phoenix to be edgy and secretive about his personal life. It's kind of a thing with him. We head back to People Park while we wait for Guy to come back home. Maybe Ema will be able to science something up for us! Sure enough, she notices a toe mark on the inside of the sandals. Toeprints leave behind oils like fingerprints do, but the LAPD doesn't keep a record of toe prints. We might not be able to know who the sandals belong to, but we can check if they belonged to whoever wore the slippers! Sure enough, the toe prints on both match up perfectly. Whoever owns these sandals wore the slippers that left the footprint near the noodle stand! Apollo seems like he knows who they belong to: I think we've got our suspect.

Guy's still not home. That means there's one person we can talk to about the medical chart: Wocky himself. We head down to the detention center and meet with him. Showing him the chart, Wocky says that he doesn't smoke (good for him!), so he should be fine, right? That's not the issue. We point out Alita's name. He finally spills his beans and admits that he met Alita when she was working at the Meraktis Clinic right after the operation to "remove" the bullet from his chest. Apparently, right after the operation, Alita wanted to leave the clinic and marry Wocky. Sounds to me like she was waiting for him to drop dead. Asking him about the sandals, he confirms that they're Alita's. It's all coming full circle. That's all she wrote for Wocky. We head back to Guy's house and finally get a chance to talk to him, and he's apparently overjoyed to be able to talk doctor stuff for once. When we show him Wocky's medical chart, though... Dr. Eldoon's demeanor very quickly changes.

"There's no 'I' in team. There is a 'me', though, if you jumble it up."

Dr. Eldoon lays it out straight for us. Wocky should be dead. Klavier was right: the bullet is still in his chest, specifically right next to his aorta. If his heart keeps pumping, eventually it's going to dislodge, either get stuck in or cut his aorta, and he'll be dead in a few minutes. If that. Two millimeters to either side and he'd be bleeding like a stuck pig. Guy's prognosis? Half a year at most. That's the thing—Wocky got shot half a year ago. He should be in an operating room, not jail! Trucy asks why Pal didn't do anything. Guy says that he couldn't. Once he opened up Wocky's chest and saw the bullet, despair probably washed over him like a tidal wave. Pal was too proud to admit that he couldn't, though, and lied about the operation to the Kitakis. Once Wocky finally kicked the bucket, he could lie to the Kitakis. Everything would be swept under the rug. Trucy desperately asks Eldoon if he could operate on Wocky, but he shuts her down. There's probably nobody in the country that could help him. Maybe nobody in the entire world. He's going to die.

And Alita Tiala was complicit in the cover-up.

Trial, Day Three

Before trial begins, Phoenix pops in to tell us that Alita is showing up as a witness for today. Trucy wonders why she'd want to testify against her own fiancée, but before we can have a good discussion about it trial begins. Klavier explains why he's called Alita to the stand—to look at the crime from an outsider's perspective. How everything led up to the crime in the first place! Alita is called to the stand and explains that she couldn't hide the truth any longer.

Alita says that Wocky confessed his plan to kill Pal to her. He was incensed at the fraud and took one of the Kitaki family's pistols, planning to confront and kill Pal. Klavier confirms that the Kitakis are under investigation for owning illegal firearms and that the gun that took Pal's life was one of the Kitakis' through the bullet's rifling marks. Going into cross, we ask Alita how she's sure that only Wocky could've killed him. Klavier confirms that Wocky took the pistol from his home and asks us how anybody else could've done it. This is simple. There's somebody else who could've stolen the pistol and shot Pal: Alita Tiala herself!

Don't play dumb, Alilita Tiala.

Alita knew what Wocky was planning: she knew what pistol he would use! Both His Honor and Klavier are rather skeptical of the idea of Alita murdering Pal on Wocky's behalf. We counter—what if Alita had a motive of her own? She helped cover up Wocky's surgery, after all! Alita's demeanor suddenly changes: she drops her naïve and innocent façade, revealing a far more cold-blooded demeanor. Alita shoots back, saying that she has no connection to Pal anymore, but we prove that she does given that her sandals were found in the clinic. She tries to say anybody could own those sandals but it's Klavier that shoots that idea down: he could just subpoena her toe prints and match them with the sandals. Alita is forced to testify about why she went to the Meraktis Clinic the day of the murder, and she says that she went to warn Pal about Wocky's plan. She says that she just went there as a friend to warn her old boss about what was happening, that's all! She didn't have any dark secrets. Klavier asks why she left the sandals in the lobby, but gives her a way out, suggesting that she might've simply mixed her sandals up with somebody else's on the way out.

We present this chart again. This is a pretty dark secret, wouldn't you say? Here's the thing: why would the chart be in a safe of all things? What if it was because Alita knew about the failed operation? This isn't enough to convince His Honor, although he does ask her for more testimony: but right as she taunts us our bracelet reacts. We tell Trucy and she's a bit skeptical. She can't see anything. Is our power stronger than hers? Regardless, we take a good look at Ms. Tiala, and sure enough she's fiddling with the ring on her finger. Right as she mentions having to go "now", she tenses up! Something about the chart was threatening.

Why did it become a threat now? Because of the check-up. Wocky knew about the bullet: and if he broke into the safe, he would've discovered that she helped cover it up! Her position as his fiancée would be jeopardized!

We've got her now!

Alita was lying about not having a connection to the Meraktis Clinic. With nowhere else to turn, she admits that we got it right. Alita still maintains that she went home right after telling Pal about the checkup. We know this isn't true. Remember the bullet we found? Klavier is visibly perturbed: the police didn't check inside the safe! All we need to do is compare the rifling marks on it with the bullet to see if it was fired from the same gun that took Pal's life. The marks are analyzed and it's confirmed—the bullet was fired from the same gun on the day of the murder! This is why she went to the clinic. Alita was threatening Pal to open the safe in order to destroy the chart! Her plan was to wait until Wocky dropped dead to get her hands on the money the Kitaki Family was raking in from its new legitimate business operations. Speak of the devil, he launches up from the defendant's chair and tries desperately to defend her. Alita breaks out in laughter and confirms that all she really wanted was the money. She asks us what crime, exactly, we're accusing her of. After all, we haven't proven that she had the pistol! Klavier butts in, asking why exactly she didn't take the chart. His Honor asks her to testify why exactly she went to the clinic.

Alita reiterates that she went to grab the chart, but Pal refused to give it to her. She left and tried to go back to grab it, but cops were swarming the building. It was her that broke in when we started investigating! She's admitting to a smaller crime to avoid being punished for murder. Clever. Pressing Alita, she mentioned that it doesn't matter whether the doctor was shot in the temple, getting ahead of our argument. Remember: Pal was shot in his right temple, and when he turned his head to face Wesley after he called out his left temple would've been facing Wocky. Klavier asks us from where, exactly, another person could've shot Pal.

...What if the killer was inside the noodle stand? That's the only place that the killer could've been while still shooting him in the right temple! Klavier asks us if we're seriously considering that Meraktis was carrying his own killer. We ask why he was carrying the noodle stand in the first place! He asks us to prove it and we provide the slippers. Remember? We found that print right next to the back of the noodle stand!

Here we go! Time to take down our second killer of the AJT!

Klavier asks us how, exactly, we're sure it was a footprint. How can we prove that a single slipper didn't just fall out? Apollo calls that argument "just dumb" and asks how how Alita would've fit in there anyways with all the noodlemaking equipment and the like. Remember the bowls we found in the Meraktis Clinic? The noodle stand was hollowed out! His Honor concedes that we have proven motive and opportunity. The last questions we need to ask are why exactly Meraktis was pulling the cart and what in the world Alita was doing inside. Alita gives her final testimony, saying that Pal misunderstood her and thought the Kitakis sent her. She ran home afterwards. She doesn't explain how or why she got in the stand, leaving everything intentionally vague. Our bracelet is reacting: now's our time to take a good hard look at Alita.

When she says that was all she did, she starts pulling at the scarf around her neck. Remember the lamp we found? What if the splotch is lipstick: and she's pulling at her neck because it's her lipstick? When we present the lamp, she starts pulling at her scarf. Bingo. We ask Alita to remove her scarf, and after a brief verbal tussle His Honor asks her to take off her scarf.

It all comes together.

A very dark bruise has blemished her neck. We've come to the truth: when Alita threatened Pal, he lunged and tried to strangle her with the lamp cord. Alita grabs her head and screams, breaking down on the witness stand. Klavier asks us what happened next: we present our theory. Meraktis stuffed her in the noodle stand and was dragging her to the park to dump her body—and the gun—in the river when he ran across Wocky. Why did he do that? Because his car wouldn't run. Why wouldn't his car run? Because Wesley clogged the exhaust pipe when he stuffed Trucy's panties inside!

Alita knows she's defeated and confesses. What we just said is true: she woke up in the noodle stand right as Wocky ran across Pal in the park. Pal began to tell Wocky about what happened, and Alita knew that she couldn't let him tell the truth: when Wesley called out to stop them, she found the pistol and shot Pal in the head before running off. She accepts defeat and confesses to everything. Wocky Kitaki is found not guilty!

After the trial, we tell Wocky why the Family is moving away from the criminal life: for his sake. Big Wins explains that he found a doctor who has the ability to take the bullet out from his heart, but they need a lot of clean money to get it out. Wocky breaks down in tears and Big Wins gives us a heartfelt thanks before taking off, ending Turnabout Corner.

What Really Happened?

The Kitakis were once one of the largest crime families in Los Angeles: one of the few true-blooded yakuza clans left. Despite their influence, they were always in hot competition with other crime families, namely the Rivales—the gangs had been involved in a hot-blooded turf war for years by the time the heir to the Kitaki family, Wocky, was old enough to understand the gang's history. Wocky, always a hot-blooded kid angered by his father's desires to move the family away from its criminal origins, did something very stupid. In the middle of the gang war, he foolishly violated Rivales territory: and was shot in the chest as a result.

Wocky nearly died and was taken to a corrupt doctor named Pal Meraktis for surgery. Pal realized that the bullet he couldn't remove the bullet from Wocky's chest without killing him, and if Wocky died on his operating table then he'd be bringing the full force of the Kitaki crime family down on his own head. He did the unthinkable: he sewed Wocky back up and lied to the Kitakis, saying that he'd removed the bullet from Wocky's heart, leaving Wocky to die. Once he died Pal could cover everything up. He kept the record of what had actually happened in his safe, though, just in case. The sheet told the truth about Wocky's condition and it was signed by two people: Doctor Pal Meraktis and nurse Alita Tiala. The bullet remained in Wocky's chest... two millimeters away from his aorta, a vein connected to the heart. There was a serious risk that the bullet could be dislodged and pierce his aorta, killing him—he had maybe half a year to live at most.

Alita came up with an idea. The Kitakis, due to their mob connections, were filthy rich. Wocky was the only son of mob boss Winfred "Big Wins" Kitaki and his wife Plum "Little Plum" Kitaki, and when he died then whoever he was married to would effectively be left in charge of the organization: as well the heir to their vast fortune. Alita pretended to fall in love with Wocky, even going as far to become engaged. There was one issue—the chart. The Kitaki family had a checkup done, Wocky found out about the bullet in his chest, and he planned to kill Pal over what he had done. Alita needed to get the chart so Wocky couldn't find out about her involvement in the cover-up. On that night, as Pal was driving home, he accidentally hit Phoenix Wright while he was walking to a piano gig at Alden Tae's: the accident broke off his rear-view mirror. Pal parked his car in his garage, and eventually somebody else was chased into the garage: Wesley Stickler, fresh off of stealing Trucy Wright's prop underwear to find out how her "Magical Panties" trick was performed. In a panic, he stuffed them inside of the car's exhaust pipe and went off to steal another pair of underwear, this time from Plum Kitaki, to see if he could find out what made Trucy's prop so special.

Soon after Wesley left the garage, Alita walked into the receptionist's office at the Meraktis Clinic. Slipping out of her sandals and putting on a pair of the hospital's slippers out of habit, she confronted Pal in his office about the chart with a gun she'd stolen from the Kitakis. Holding Pal at gunpoint, she told him about Wocky's plan to kill him and demanded that he open the safe. When he did, though, he lunged at her! Alita tried to shoot Pal but missed, instead denting the safe. He grabbed a nearby lamp and wrapped the cord around her neck, strangling her to unconsciousness.

Fearing that he had murdered Alita, Pal came up with an idea. He had to hide the body and the gun: and People Park was right next to a river. He dragged Alita to his car and stuffed her in the trunk, but his car wouldn't start! Wesley had stuffed Trucy's underwear inside the muffler, preventing it from starting. Pal panicked before coming up with another idea. Stealing his preschool rival, Guy Eldoon's, noodle stand, he emptied out the bowls in the back, put Alita and the gun inside, and planned to dispose of both in People Park. When he got to People Park, though, two people were waiting for him. The first was Wocky Kitaki, brandishing a knife; the other was Wesley, fresh off of stealing Plum's bloomers and discarding them in the trash. Wesley called out for the men to stop fighting. They both turned to look at him, and the call woke up Alita. Alita picked up the gun and shot Pal in the head and got out of the cart when Wocky and Wesley ran away, accidentally stepping in the paint that was spilled when Pal hit Phoenix with his car. Throwing the sandals away, Alita returned home, planning to hire rookie lawyer Apollo Justice as a terrible attorney to get Wocky convicted. She also tried to steal the chart from Pal's office but was interrupted by Apollo and Trucy, ultimately sealing her fate.

THOUGHTS

4-2 is not a great case. It's got some bad pacing issues, some weird pathing, and Wesley Stickler. The second day of investigation drags on a bit too long and the first day of trial is incredibly handholdy. That all being said... I really like it!

4-2 is probably my second second case after 3-2, just barely eeking out 2-2 for second place. It's one of the quintessential Ace Attorney cases for me: if somebody was just getting introduced to the series then 4-2 would be one of the cases I'd want to see them play. It matches or even exceeds cases from the PWT, giving both 3-3 and 2-2 very solid runs for their money. It does an absolutely wonderful job of mixing a more light-hearted tone and a pretty funny cast with incredibly dark subject matter, something AJ as a whole does perfectly. Wocky's impending death looms over the second trial day like the sword of Damocles and such a massive tonal shift has the potential to really mess with the narrative and pacing.

That's what makes 4-2 so special to me: it doesn't. The shift from a mystery about three interconnected murders to an incredibly tense situation where the defendant is on the verge of death is carried out nearly flawlessly, although Klavier lampshading the idea in the first day of trial does make the impact hit just a little softer. 4-2 setpieces and art direction are also all beautiful: I especially love the Kitaki Mansion and Guy's house, and thinking back to when I first played it on the DS and heard Alita rummaging around in the office brings me back. 4-2 was one of the first cases that really enamored me with Ace Attorney, and I'll always love it for that. 4-2 also does a great job with its clues: the logic flows very naturally and everything adds up very well. I particularly like having to present the river to prove where Meraktis was planning to dispose of Alita and the gun in the park—Apollo does a lot of the heavy lifting in this case and Trucy shows off her prowess as an investigator, a magician, and even an attorney. It's a really cool way of introducing their dynamic that sells their partnership magnificently.

I think the biggest criticism I can give 4-2 is that it's just way too handholdy. 4-1 had this problem as well, although that made sense for the context of the case. Maybe it's just because I've played AJ so many times that I can almost definitely speedrun it, but 4-2 has a lot of obvious clues that are spelled out to the player. The biggest example of this is the last part of Wesley's testimony in the first day of trial: there's an extra 10-15 lines of dialogue just explaining how Wesley viewing the crime from the north changes which temple Pal would've been shot in even though it's incredibly obvious. We get a super cool 3D graphic to make up for it and Trucy gets to show off her own detective skills, but still. It's completely unnecessary. Apollo Justice Flashback Syndrome also rears its ugly head in 4-2, especially during the first trial day, and as a result of both of these problems 4-2's pacing is kind of all over the place. It's not as bad as, say, 1-3, but it's still jarring and definitely detracts from the case's quality overall. The other obvious issue is... well, everything surrounding Wesley Stickler. There's no real good way to frame a 20 something year old man stealing a 15 year old's underwear, but honestly? At least he's not a total weirdo. We do not need a repeat of 2-3. Alita also isn't a super interesting killer, although I do like how she's exposed and her motive for killing Pal. She's just kind of bland and easily the weakest killer in AJ.

4-2 is a supremely charming and, more importantly, fun case. Is it executed perfectly? No. Does it have its moments? Oh, absolutely. But it's a super fun and surprisingly light-hearted case, especially for AJ:AA, and does the legwork in giving Apollo agency, making Trucy distinct from both Maya and Ema, and connecting all three of its smaller mysteries into a larger set of coincidences and conspiracies. It's a great setup, even if it wasn't executed perfectly: but it was executed well, and honestly that's all I need to consider a case solid at the end of the day.

Next time we'll be taking a trip down to Sunshine Coliseum for a well-deserved concert break. I wonder if Klavier's gonna shoot people with a t-shirt cannon? See you then!

(on an unrelated note jfc playing a game and reviewing it at the same time is so much harder than using actual footage. that was a huge reason this was delayed so long, alongside going back to college and some health issues at home. apologies for the delay! xoxo)

Overall Rating: 7/10

FAVORITE LINES

"I'm a lawyer. I live for needless procedures." - Apollo Justice, trying to convince Trucy to let him talk to Little Plum

"Hey, Herr Forehead." "...!" (F... "Forehead"?!) - Klavier Gavin and Apollo Justice, after Wesley's first contradiction is exposed

"And the forecast for the park today... Gloomy Skyes." - Apollo Justice, after Klavier leaves People Park

"Alita Tialita is Wocky's fiancée!" "That's one 'ita' too many, Apololo!" - Apollo Justice and Trucy Wright, after finding Wocky's chart in the safe

"He's got the kid's chest open on his table. Then he finds that bullet... that's despair right there, Trucy-doll. Cold despair." - Guy Eldoon, explaining why Pal didn't help Wocky

"Objection! That's… That's just dumb!" - Apollo Justice, objecting to Klavier's line of reasoning about the slipper print

CASE RANKINGS

Turnabout Trump (9/10)

Welcome to 2-4, the final case of Justice for All. At an awards ceremony that we were graciously invited to by a previous client, an actor is murdered and another actor is arrested for the crime: and an acquittal is the price for Maya's life.

I don't want to waste too much time setting up for 2-4: it's a case I have a lot of thoughts about, so let's just jump into it!

THE CORE CAST:

Phoenix Wright: Phoenix, still recovering from the trials and tribulations that were 2-3, is invited to an awards ceremony by a former client. Unfortunately, he's wrapped up in a murder nearly beyond comprehension.

Maya Fey: Maya is invited alongside Phoenix to the awards ceremony: and she's ecstatic, given that this is an awards ceremony all about the Samurais!

Pearl Fey: Although she may not know what an 'award' is, Pearl is happy to tag along to a once-in-a-lifetime event: and she takes the role as our main assistant!

Miles Edgeworth: The glorious return of Miles Edgeworth is what defines the climax of this case, and he wastes no time stealing the spotlight and returning as the ultimate arbiter of the law.

Franziska von Karma: Although she's not the lead prosecutor, this case is still Franziska's: and she serves a vital role in its conclusion and introduction!

THE MAIN CAST:

Dick Gumshoe: Gumshoe is really putting in the hours here, starring as the lead detective and a close partner for this mystery!

Matt Engarde: A world-famous actor known for his role as the Nickel Samurai. He's been arrested for the murder of a rival actor, and there may be more than meets the eye...

Adrian Andrews: Matt's assistant and a tragic character in her own right, Adrian takes her role very seriously. Perhaps a bit too seriously. ADRIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!

Will Powers: WP returns as our inviter and as a star witness, pun intended! He looks pretty good in that suit of his, doesn't he?

Wendy Oldbag: Stop the presses! The windbag wants to speak! Oldbag returns in full security guard fashion, starring a brand new outfit to boot!

Lotta Hart: As Lotta's final appearance in the main series, she marches into the scene with southern bravado and a knack for photographic journalism!

THE SECONDARY CAST:

Shelly de Killer: A mysterious assassin. He trusts those who trust him, but when those rules are broken...

Juan Corrida: A famous actor known for starring as the Jammin' Ninja and the victim in this case.

Celeste Inpax: Juan Corrida's former manager. Although she's been gone for two years, her impact is still felt on her protégé, Adrian...

Director Hotti: Eugh.

A BRIEF RECAP

An awards show is nearing its conclusion. The finalists are being announced and everything is coming to a head: the winner of this year's Hero of Heroes Grand Prix is... the Nickel Samurai out of nowhere with a steel chair, stealing the Jammin' Ninja's thunder!

I fuck with this design.

Investigation, Day One

Maya is enthralled by the awards ceremony: which makes sense, given that she's a massive fan of the samurai shows. Phoenix is decidedly uninterested, and Will Powers is happy that the actor behind the mask is doing the series justice: we learn that he invited us here as thanks for our defense in 1-3! Pearl is very confused but happy to be here as usual.

Maya immediately notices that something was off about the Jammin' Ninja: he wasn't carrying his guitar. WP agrees with her, but Phoenix brushes it off. It's clear that he very much wants to go home, but WP interests us by talking about a press conference involving the Nickel Samurai confessing to something. Talking with him a bit more, apparently the Nickel Samurai is so successful that they're making a movie out of him: Maya tells us that the new actor's name is Matt Engarde, and apparently the Nickel Samurai is in a heated competition with the Jammin' Ninja. They even air at the exact same time! Even Matt and the person who plays the Jammin' Ninja don't like each other. If you present WP's profile to him before we leave Pearl tells him that he looks very nice, which makes him happy.

Anyways, before we're dragged off by Maya to the lobby, we visit the hallway. Matt and another actor's, Juan Corrida's, doors are right across from each other, and it's clear that whoever this "Juan Corrida" fellow is... he's much more well liked. Apparently, Maya's been infodumping 24/7 about Matt Engarde to Phoenix: she's that big of a fan, huh?

Anyways, we head back to Viola Hall and are dragged off by Maya to see the post-ceremony show! Before we leave, however, WP gives us a ticket to the press conference. When we get to the lobby, however, the PA system blares that the conference is cancelled. Why? It's a police matter!

The low blind.

A security guard tells us to stop while we're going to check it out and gets into a very long today about the youth and- oh you've gotta be kidding me. It's Wendy Oldbag! Apparently, after she got fired from Global Studios, she tried to be Edgeworth's bodyguard: but he flatly turned her down. We get a little more information out of her—apparently there's been a murder! Here, at the Gatewater Hotel!

Maya manages to convince us (read: blackmail us) into sneaking away under the guise of going to the restroom. When we get to the Viola Hall, where the ceremony took place, it looks like nothing happened here, but before we leave a bellboy stops Maya. Apparently, she's got a phone call: it could be somebody from Kurain Village!

The high blind.

Maya decides to go with the bellboy to answer her phone call: we head into the hallway. This must be where it happened! After all, Dick Gumshoe and Lotta Hart are battling it out. Wait. Lotta's here? She's happy to see us, and Gumshoe confirms that a murder has happened inside of the room he's guarding: Juan Corrida's! Apparently, Matt Engarde—the Nickel Samurai—is being accused of "bumping off" Juan.

We ask Gumshoe why Matt got arrested, but his lips are sealed. We can't risk any leaks, and Pearl tells us that if Maya knew then she'd force us to take this case: which is... rather true. We head back to the lobby and tell WP what happened: and he understandably nearly buckles over. Before he leaves, WP gives us a small transceiver. Apparently, somebody told him to give this to us. Sure enough, it starts beeping...

...And on the other end is a mysterious voice alongside an all-too familiar one screaming for help: Maya has been kidnapped!

The cards are dealt.

The kidnapper has a simple demand. We will achieve a total acquittal for Matt Engarde in the first day of trial. If we do not, Maya will be killed. If we do, then she will be returned to us. Before he hangs up, he tells us his name: "De Killer". Pearl becomes completely inconsolable and we rush to Detective Gumshoe while WP looks over her: he's quick to tell us, though, that Matt Engarde is likely guilty. And if he wasn't, then why would there be a kidnapping?!

Gumshoe does tell us one thing, though: there's so much evidence that it was Matt Engarde that it's almost weird. De Killer did say something about Matt being set-up, and Gumshoe tells us that we can begin our own investigation after cooperating with the police.

Meanwhile, we slip into Maya's shoes and come face-to-face with De Killer.

Red! The blood of angry... er, assassins?

He reassures her that she is not his target: and she will not be if Phoenix manages to get an acquittal. He then contacts Phoenix: this takes just place just before their first conversation.

The next day, Phoenix and Pearl wake up without getting much sleep. Gumshoe was kind enough to go home with Pearl and Phoenix, and we stiffen our upper lip to be strong. For Pearl's sake! Before we leave, Pearl asks us a question: if we represent Matt, then what do we do if he is our murderer? It's a heavy question and one we're not prepared to answer, so we rush down to the Detention Center. We just can't wait to talk to Matt.

When we talk to him, we learn one thing about him: he's a moron. He thinks we're insurance salespeople, then fire extinguisher sellers, and only after we tell him we're a lawyer (and he talks to his manager) do we get a chance to interview him. It's not much of an interview, though: he doesn't answer our questions at all, and he's ready to show us out until we bring up De Killer's name.

Why does this rattle him?

Matt unexpectedly agrees to take us on as his attorney. Before we leave, we use the magatama to see if he did kill Juan: and when he says he did not, there's no chains or locks in sight. I guess he really didn't kill him! This is good—we've got an innocent client!

We head back to the Gatewater Hotel with one goal in mind: find the real killer. When we get to the lobby, we run into Oldbag, but it turns out that she's only heard everything from Lotta. It turns out she did see something very important, though: but when we try to pry, she's hiding it behind four psyche-locks! I guess we'll have to come back to her later. We run into Lotta in the hallway, and she's accusing us of stealing her camera: we're fervently denying it, but that brings us to another mystery. Where is her camera?

In any case, 'tis time for us to get investigating. One thing's for sure: if Matt was the killer, then he'd have to cross the hallway. Nobody saw him do this that we know of, so that's another layer of... if not proof that he's innocent, then at least a growing certainty. We take note of Lotta's missing camera and talk to her about what happened when Juan was murdered: she was here until Matt was arrested, but says she might've left here for a little bit to look for other stars to take pictures of. There was some big scoop that she was on the lookout for, but when we try to press her on that...

There's a joke to make here, but I don't know what it is.

Oookay, well. Time to make like Liz Truss and leaf. I guess it's time to put the pedal to the metal: let's go inside Juan's room. It's absolutely stuffed with, well, stuffed bears. Gumshoe is quick to inquire about Maya's safety, but we unfortunately have nothing to report: he asks if we're doing okay, but we don't respond. He tells us that we're totally allowed to investigate the crime scene and he'll give us all the information he can and gives Pearl a map: d'awww, he's a good guy.

When it comes to the cause of death, it's pretty obvious. Gumshoe gives us a picture and there's a knife sticking out of his chest. There are fingerprints on the knife, as well: and the current theory is that they're Matt's. Greeeeeeeeeeat. When it comes to Matt's actual arrest, Gumshoe tells us that he's got even more evidence. There was a button that got ripped off and landed in his Hakama, and furthermore he's got a witness: the Wicked Witch of the Witness Stand herself!

We run out of things to talk to him about so we get to presenting. He tells us that the transciever uses radio waves and he'll let us borrow a radio wave scanner: hopefully that'll work. There's also a suspicious guitar case on the scene. It's wet, but only on the top of the lid, with no water inside the case itself. Furthermore, there's no guitar! There's also a wine glass on the table filled with tomato juice: Pearl asks us a good question. Why is it that this is the only thing still intact? We get to talking with Gumshoe, and he tells us that Franziska also noticed that: which means Franziska is at the hote-

Gumshoe's beeper goes off, and on cue:

I was starting to miss her!

Franziska catches Gumshoe before he can run away and she tells us that victory will be hers this time: she's offended when we ask if that's all she's after, though, and storms away after throwing something at us. It looks like... an autograph? Signed "Juan", to... "My Dearest Wendy". Hm.

Maybe she does have a soft spot for us.

Before we leave to deliver the autograph, we stop in Matt's room. There's somebody in here before us: this is Ms. Adrian Andrews, Matt's manager. She's clearly very down-to-business, so down to business we get: interviewing her is a bit of a hassle, but she's quick to give us some information. She was eating dinner with Matt the night of the murder, did some errands to prepare for the post-ceremony show, and went to check on Juan when she found his body.

Apparently, Juan didn't have a manager. When it comes to the press conference, she didn't really know what it was about either: she was just told to put one on. When it comes to Juan, she's clearly not a very big fan of his. Or Matt's, for that matter. She equates them to children, always bickering about every little thing, and we get a hunch that she knows a little bit more than what she's telling us. We try to pry, but she gives us psyche-locks!

Oh, well. In any case, we know what to do with the autograph Franziska gave– er, threw at us. We move to rush back to the lobby and confront Ms. Oldbag, but before we do we're stopped by WP in the Viola Hall! He tells us a bit about the Nickel Samurai, which is focused on three brothers—the Aluminum, Tin, and Nickel Samurai—all being in love with the same woman. Pearl asks WP for more information, but he tells her to tune in: and she considers it. He tells us about the Jammin' Ninja as well, which is about a ninja who can't ninja becoming a big pop star, which Pearl also considers watching. They run at the same time, it appears.

When we run into Wendy, it is pitifully easy to break her four psyche-locks. All we have to do is give her the autograph Juan made for her and she spills the beans!

She looks like an alien. Or an insect.

We get to talking with her. She tells us that she straight-up saw Matt leaving Juan's room the night of the murder: ten minutes before his body was discovered, no less! She's going to be a witness in court tomorrow, and she's going to work overtime to get Matt declared guilty. Greeeeeeeeat. Apparently, Matt created some sort of scandal that Juan got wrapped up in: something to do with Adrian, no less. When it comes to what it actually was, though, she isn't sure. It'll come up in next week's tabloid.

Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeat.

Fantastic. This was a huge waste of my time. (you did not read mine!) We go back to talk to WP about this "scandal", and he gives us more information. Apparently, Adrian and Juan were meeting in secret: and even more than that, the tabloid is hinting that they could even be lovers! He gives us the clipping and we have enough evidence to break apart Lotta's psyche-locks, so let's go do that!

Running into her in the hallway, we get to crackin'. She was here to get the drop on this "scandal"! We're right on the money, and her psyche-locks are broken after we substantiate our claim with the newspaper clipping. There's apparently a note on the story in her camera case. Another reason to keep an eye out for it, I guess.

Welp, there's one place to go now. Gumshoe told us to meet him at the Criminal Affairs Department, so that's exactly what we do. He is not happy to see us. Or, I guess more accurately, not happy for us. All of the evidence is pointing towards Matt's guilt: it's an airtight case, as far as the LAPD is concerned. The fingerprints did turn out to be Matt's. Furthermore, Oldbag's testimony is also damning. We try to pry for more information, and eventually we get to talking about the scandal.

Two years ago, a woman committed suicide: this woman, Celeste Impax, was Juan's own manager. Furthermore, she was Adrian's mentor. No wonder she hated him. Before he can tell us any more, Franziska barges in and fires Gumshoe! She begins to berate us for interfering, as if we didn't interfere then she would've won...

...says somebody finishing her sentence for her.

The great revival.

Franziska snaps at Edgeworth, but he keeps uncharacteristically cool: and, when she storms out in a huff, we get to snapping at him. Phoenix starts shouting at him, saying that he thought Edgeworth was dead and that he never wanted to see him again. Edgeworth coolly responds that he won't be showing up at tomorrow's trial, and thankfully given that he's not in charge of this investigation he's able to give us a little more information. Before we ask him, though, he reminisces about the von Karma creed: and we berate him for leaving because he lost his perfect win record. Edgeworth tries to correct us and asks why we stand in court. When we say it's to save our clients' lives, he has the audacity to tell us that we still have a lot to learn.

Sigh. In any case, it's time to get talking about the case. Edgeworth is happy to give us information on Celeste. Apparently, after she killed herself, her suicide note vanished. It was highly likely she did write one, given the ink on her fingers, as well. When it comes to who hid it? Well, it had to have been Juan. He was the one who discovered her body, after all. Edgeworth gives us Celeste's suicide report and we get to flipping: this is only part one, and Edgeworth gives us part two...

...it's an attempted suicide report and the victim is Adrian Andrews. This is shocking information! Adrian has an incredibly dependent nature, Edgeworth tells us—she latches on to authority figures in attempts to emulate them as she has very little self-confidence of her own. Celeste was the person she had latched on to, and when Celeste died she felt like she had nowhere else to go. Without somebody to anchor herself to, anxiety and desperation take control of her life: even with counseling, she's very clearly putting up a façade.

We head back to Matt's hotel room to talk with her. Franziska is there before us, and we learn that little beeping sound is a tracking device she planted on Gumshoe to know his every move. Okay, sure. Assault and battery, clear familial issues, and now stalking?

...I can fix her.

Anyways! It's time to break Adrian's psyche-locks. She knows the reason he was killed: she had to get close to Juan? Why? For Celeste's sake. She had to find the suicide note! She's uncharacteristically enraged to hear us talking about her, and when we finally tell her that we know about her dependent nature she folds: this is, indeed, why she got close with Juan. We're even going further than just this, however—Phoenix accuses her, to her face, of murdering Juan.

And yet she still denies it...

There's little else we can do today. We head back to the office and De Killer is on the line! We ask to hear Maya's voice and he relents: she tells us to talk to Mia, and Pearl channels her for us! Mia tells us that Maya is safe. She also left her a note: a smart use of spirit channeling! She didn't see the face of her kidnapper, however.

For the last bit of this investigation, we actually play as Maya. Scurrying around in the dark, we find a small card: it's similar to the one Adrian has, complete with a pink shell decal. Maya skillfully uses it to jimmy open the lock on her door... and investigation comes to a close!

Trial, Day Two

Before trial begins, we're called by Shelly de Killer. Apparently, he's given us a present: he's vague about it, though. Weird, as per usual. Maya is okay, but hasn't been fed at all. Thankfully, Mia's by our side this time, and when we go into trial we learn what this "present" of his really is.

In my favorite moment of this entire game, Franziska von Karma has been shot.

The flop.

This must be De Killer's gift to us. Franziska is one of the top prosecutors in the country: who could take her place?

Well, one person could. Edgeworth gives us the good news—she is alive and in stable condition. Just like her father, she was shot in the right shoulder: unlike her father, she is currently undergoing surgery. Edgeworth tells us that over this past year he has been undergoing a journey—and hopes that by the end of this trial we will understand the truth he has reached.

Gumshoe is called to the stand and lays out the facts of the case before us. After this trial, he's to turn in his badge: after a brief pep talk by Edgeworth, however, he gets out of his funk and is ready to testify. He tells us what we already knew: the murder took place during the awards show, Juan was murdered, and there was nothing suspicious about the guitar case.

After pressing Gumshoe for more information, we learn that only the victim's fingerprints were on his guitar case. We also learn that the cause of death wasn't stabbing: it was strangulation. Juan must've been stabbed after he died. Gumshoe's testimony comes to an end and we're given a new one on why Matt was arrested.

We get more information on both the knife—which, again, bears Matt's fingerprints—and the button found in his hakama. He slips up, though! He says that the murder was premeditated. We know this isn't true: after all, the knife he used was from the Gatewater Hotel! This was an issue in 1-5, if you recall.

When you commit a murder, you don't forget the murder weapon!

Edgeworth shuts this contradiction down, however. Juan's knife was present at his table. Whose knife wasn't present at his table? Matt's. Edgeworth says that a verdict could be reached if we have no new evidence to present—is he throwing us a bone? There's one thing that's piquing our attention. Remember the glass filled with tomato juice?

It's completely undisturbed in the crime scene photo, just like Pearl picked up on. Edgeworth brushes this off. Adrian Andrews, who discovered the body, must've simply put it down without thinking. We ask for proof, and Edgeworth gives it. Only Adrian's fingerprints were found on the glass! His Honor is ready to pass judgement but Edgeworth mysteriously stops him. He has another witness!

Oldbag takes the stand and Edgeworth is, understandably, shocked that it's her under that helmet. She gives her testimony about seeing Matt leaving Juan's room right after the murder supposedly took place: when we get to pressing her, she says that she definitely saw that bright red racing jacket of his. That can't be true, though. Juan's button landed in the hakama of his costume: if he was the murderer, then he'd have been wearing the Nickel Samurai outfit, not his racing jacket!

We ask for more testimony. Oldbag says that she did see the Nickel Samurai and got mixed up. There's a plain contradiction there, however. The Nickel Samurai costume has gloves. So, then, how did Matt's fingerprints end up on the knife?

Edgeworth says that the initial intent behind Matt's visit to Juan's room may not have been murder. He visited Juan, took off his gloves to relax, and then killed him. This can't be possible, though!

When you don't commit a murder, you don't bring a murder weapon!

We're going to fish for a turnabout now! There's a compelling theory brewing in Phoenix's mind. The real killer brought the knife in an attempt to frame our client! Who's the real killer? There's only one answer, and Oldbag even tells us that she was waiting for her. It's Adrian Andrews!

Oldbag is ready to testify to why she was waiting for Adrian. She was waiting to see if the scandal was true! How did she know about that, though? After all, the tabloid's gonna be published next week! Unless...

...remember Lotta's missing camera? Oldbag folds. She did steal Lotta's note! It was in the camera case We know she stole more than that, though.

I love how clearly desperate, tired, and pissed off he is here.

Oldbag finally confesses and shows us the camera. She says that she stole it to check for photos: His Honor orders the bailiff to do so as well. Edgeworth tells us that there's only one photo worth showing—the Nickel Samurai leaving Juan Corrida's room. His Honor is ready to pass judgement once more. After all, Matt himself said that during the time of the murder he was in the Nickel Samurai costume!

There's one thing off about this photo, however. The Nickel Samurai in this photo is holding up their hakama pants. The hakama is too long! This wouldn't be the case if it was actually Matt. It's his costume! Furthermore, in the poster, you can clearly see the Nickel Samurai's socks. The costume is too large for whoever is wearing it! There's only one person who could have access to the suit and be too short to fit in it comfortably.

Adrian Andrews.

Mia picks up on something, though. Edgeworth is unusually calm. When we formally indict Adrian, His Honor says that he'll call a subpoena: and Mia points out that this will take one more day! We desperately beg His Honor to keep this trial going. Edgeworth agrees with us and tells us one thing.

Everything is going according to plan.

Court is adjourned for a brief recess. In the Defendant's Lobby, Matt is shocked to hear that she was behind Juan's murder: but we have motive with the suicide note. But who told us about that note, Mia asks? Edgeworth did.

When court reconvenes, we're left with a sinking feeling in our stomachs. Adrian tells us that she had been seeing Juan and knew about the rivalry between him and Matt. Adrian testifies about when she discovered the body—she was in a state of shock, and when she felt she was about to faint poured a glass of tomato juice. Mia tells us that the key to breaking through her testimony is disrupting her pacing. To be blunt, unlike other witnesses she's smart.

Our main strategy, then, is to press. As we press, we notice that she's getting more nervous: she's starting to stumble over her words as we press her about her state of shock and the glass of juice. When we get back to talking about her state of shock, she lets it slip that she made a mistake! She shakily answers that she knocked the flower vase over—this is an obvious lie if I've ever seen one! Adrian says that she knocked it over and that it fell onto the guitar case: but we know this isn't possible, as the guitar case is wet and has glass on the outside, not the inside!

Why would she lie about this?

Other than the vase, Adrian testified, she didn't touch anything at all. Why, then, was the guitar case closed if it was open in the picture? We ask Adrian to testify about the guitar case: this might be the key that blows the whole case wide open! At least, that's the façade we're putting up. Edgeworth knows we're grasping at straws. Frankly, we can't believe we're grasping this far, either.

Adrian's pacing is definitely disrupted now: her testimony, that she opened the guitar case for some reason after she found Juan's body, is riddled with holes. Her fingerprints weren't found on the guitar case, after all! This isn't strange, she argues back: she was wearing gloves. This can't be true, though! After all, her fingerprints were on the glass of tomato juice!

Mia tells us that we're definitely on to something: there must've been something else inside the guitar case. It all clicks into place! It makes perfect sense for one thing to be inside of the guitar case. The Nickel Samurai costume! Edgeworth and His Honor are both incredulous, but we have an idea. There was something Matt was going to confess at a press conference when he won the award: but what if it wasn't Matt in the Nickel Samurai costume?

He's exhausted, isn't he?

We make an outrageous claim: that Juan Corrida was going to wear the Nickel Samurai costume and hold a fake press conference! This! This is our turnabout! It wasn't going to be a confession. As Edgeworth notes, this would be public disclosure! Andrews tells us the truth: we're right on the money. The press conference was set up by Juan! "If he lost the Grand Prix, then Matt was going down with him," she says. Adrian says that Juan must've had a pretty big secret if it was going to ruin his career.

His Honor asks if Adrian knows what the "secret" is. She claims she doesn't. She's asked to testify one last time about why she's been behaving like she did—she says it was all to protect Matt, given that she's his manager and the button and knife are proof of his guilt. We press her and she tells us that Matt's motive was about the press conference: but she can't prove it. When it comes to the button, she says that it was torn off during his fight with Matt.

This, alas, is not possible. There's blood on the button, after all. This wouldn't be an issue if he was stabbed before he died, but he wasn't! He was strangled first and then stabbed. This can only mean one thing. The button was torn off deliberately! Why was the button ripped off? There's one answer. To frame Matt!

Everything is falling into place now. All of the evidence did seem too perfect, remember? We finally openly accuse Adrian of murdering Juan. If asked if we have any evidence, we say we have all the evidence! Adrian's perfect framing is coming back to bite her in the ass. The knife used to stab Juan's body? It was taken from Matt's room. Of course it'd be covered in his fingerprints! The only one that could take the knife from his room, and know which knife to take, would be her.

Furthermore! The only people that could've removed the button from Juan's costume were his killer and the person who found the body. We know Matt didn't: after all, why would he incriminate himself?! The guitar case is also proof. Who could've known there was a spare costume inside of the case? Two people: Juan Corrida and Adrian Andrews!

Edgeworth objects. Adrian's fingerprints weren't found on the guitar case! This is elementary. She used a towel or a cloth to hide her fingerprints: but the tomato juice? That was deliberate! After all, she needed to create the appearance of being a "dazed witness"! Finally, look at the picture of the Nickel Samurai leaving Juan's room. If somebody was too short to fit in the costume, like Adrian, then they'd have to ride the pants up to walk properly!

We can't: for Maya's sake!

Adrian refuses to testify any more: she's pleading the fifth! It must've been Franziska. Remember that they were talking in Matt's room yesterday. Edgeworth says that everything we've proven so far is simply circumstantial. With Adrian refusing to testify and Edgeworth shooting down our argument, we've ended up in the worst possible situation! His Honor says that the court must be adjourned today for further investigation. No! This can't be how it ends!

We beg His Honor to keep proceedings going. When Edgeworth interjects, we get to begging him. Edgeworth says that there is one more thing we can do: have Adrian testify to something unrelated to the evidence pointing towards Matt. What about the juice she poured?

Adrian testifies that she thought Juan was just sleeping. This is why she poured the glass of juice: she poured it for him. This can't be right. After all, there was a knife sticking out of his body! Her entire testimony was a lie. A lie that has proven one thing: she had to have been Juan's murderer!

Court's proceedings are coming to a close, and we've done it. We've done it! We've found who the real killer was and saved Maya's life. When it comes to the matter of the evidence, Adrian still refuses to testify: in that case, court today is over. Which is... weird. Why isn't Adrian confessing? That's what murderers have always done in the past.

...Is she...?

Edgeworth objects, stating that a verdict now would be immature. If Adrian isn't going to testify about why she tried to frame Matt... then he'll do it himself. She's still steadfastly refusing to testify: she's in complete denial that she'll be found guilty! It must be Franziska's influence—her dependent nature has caused Adrian to latch on to her!

Edgeworth tells us that we have a choice to make. Think about what the witness did and did not do: what kind of man are we? We have to win an acquittal for Maya, but we just... we just can't let the truth die. Adrian refuses to testify when we try to force her, however, and Edgeworth does the unthinkable.

He tells the truth about Adrian for her. Her attempted suicide in the past. Her dependency issues. Adrian begs him to stop: when it comes to this all being revealed, she'd rather...

Edgeworth's gambit.

Adrian tells us the truth. She did try to pin the crime on Matt... but she also discovered Juan's body. Adrian is livid: she's swearing at Matt, calling him a scumbag who's trying to flee from the truth "just like last time". This testimony is airtight. It must be the truth. It is impossible to indict Adrian on anything outside of fabricating evidence to get Matt convicted.

An extra day is called for further investigation.

Court is adjourned.

Before we leave, Edgeworth asks Adrian about the card in her hand. When she says she found it next to Juan's body, he demands she give it to him: apparently, this is a major piece of evidence.

In any case, however... court is adjourned.

And we didn't win an acquittal.

This is my favorite sprite in the entire trilogy.

Investigation, Day Two

Pearl is understandably inconsolable. Gumshoe swings by the offices to talk to us: apparently, now that he's out of a job, he's offering to work for us and help in our investigation. Hey, I won't turn him down. He's just as shocked as us to have heard Edgeworth say he didn't care if Adrian killed herself. We get to asking about Franziska, and she's in good condition: apparently, she was shot in the shoulder. Just like her father.

We play with the idea of visiting her at the... Hotti Clinic, eugh: apparently Phoenix does care about her. If you present her profile to Gumshoe, he tells us that he worries about her. Aw. If only Franziska knew that she had people who cared about her...

In any case, we go down to Hotti Clinic to check up on her. Edgeworth is worried sick about his sister to the point of not knowing that this man isn't Director Hotti: Franziska whips him out of the way. Huh. Well, at least she's still her old self. There's a funny bit here where Phoenix gets embarrassed after Franziska notices he brought her some flowers. See? He does care!

An unlikely friendship, perhaps?

Franziska says that she was going to run the trial today anyways (she's obviously lying, mind you) and Edgeworth dragged her here. Edgeworth says that getting her to the hospital was the logical course of action and that he had to clean up the deal she made with Adrian—she denies that she made such a deal. She calls Adrian weak and storms off, flippantly ignoring the fact that she had manipulated her into nearly being declared guilty for a crime she didn't commit.

When Franziska leaves, we're left alone with Edgeworth. Edgeworth says that the reason he did what he did was because he puts himself on the line and expects everybody else to do the same. When it comes to the card, though... Edgeworth swears us to secrecy. This is tippity-top secret information.

The card is a literal calling card: property of an assassin named Shelly de Killer. The name "De Killer" is an old one, dating back over a hundred years—the latest in the line, Shelly, leaves the card as proof that he committed the murder for his clients.

Before we leave, Edgeworth speaks up. He noticed how we were acting in trial today: desperate. We tell him the truth—Maya's been kidnapped. He's shocked and promises to put together a team to rescue her: we snap at him, telling him that we don't need his pity and that we don't believe that Matt hired De Killer to kill Juan Corrida. Edgeworth goes to prepare his rescue team and gives us a letter of introduction to be allowed to investigate the hotel.

She's still alive, thankfully!

Once we're done talking to Edgeworth, the scene cuts to Maya's perspective. Breaking out of her room with the card, we find ourselves in a room with a bunch of electrical equipment. A satellite dish, a computer, a picture of Celeste Impax, a weird little stuffed bear, and a bunch of video tapes. When we're done investigating, De Killer suddenly appears. He's rather impressed with our escape, but asks us to cooperate. Dead men tell no tales, after all...

We go to the detention center, but visiting hours are over. There's a message left for us by Matt, though: to feed his cat Shoe. Well. Pearl pushes us to feed Shoe, but before we do that we head over to the hotel to investigate. Apparently, Edgeworth buttered Wendy up in his letter of recommendation. Nice. Before we go any further, Wendy tells us that we're not allowed to go into Matt's room. Bummer.

Anyways, before we do anything else, we should probably feed Shoe. When we turn the light on, Matt's butler, John Doe, greets us. He looks oddly familiar, doesn't he?

Where have we seen this face before...?

John is reluctant to give us information about Matt: he doesn't pry into his master's affairs, as it were. He's rather reluctant to talk about anything, as a matter of fact. When we leave, John tells us that people aren't as they appear to be: a strange thing to say, wouldn't you say so?

Heading back to the hotel, we get into the hallway and meet with Lotta. Apparently, the info she made up about Matt foisting Adrian onto Juan? Hogwash. Balderdash, as it were. Great. When we go into Juan's room, Oldbag is waiting for us! Weirdly enough, all the bears around the room are presents. Apparently he fought and befriended a bear at one point. Weird, but okay.

De Killer calls us on the transceiver: we ask to speak to Maya, but the transciever fades away into static! We do manage to get one more day, though. Heading back to the office, Gumshoe is waiting for us. He offers to make dinner, but we're not hungry, and we ask him if he could look at the transceiver. Oddly enough, it's perfectly fine—he suggest electromagnetic interference. He explains it to us: it's like using a cellphone next to a computer making the screen blurry, and when Pearl doesn't understand that, we tell her it's like using the dryer next to the TV and the TV starts acting up.

Gumshoe suggests that some other device messed up the transceiver: like a listening device. And where did the transceiver get messed up? Juan's room! We've got a lead: FINALLY! Gumshoe races to break into the precinct and steal a bug sweeper and we rush to Juan's hotel room. Gumshoe couldn't get a police bug sweeper, but he did manage to find his own: one he whipped up in elementary school. Huh! Guy's handy with electronics. It'll go off on anything that emits electromagnetic waves, but it'll work to find any listening devices!

I'm more impressed that he made it in elementary school. Given he's in his 30s and JfA takes place in 2017, he made this stuff using equipment from the late 80s or early 90s! That's impressive!

We take a good look around the room and find something: a small video camera in the eye of the giant stuffed bear along with a transmitter and a timer. It transmits radio waves: there's no actual video on it. The timer on the device says it was set to start recording at 8:00 PM—around the time Juan was killed! This camera could've caught the murder on tape!

Gumshoe takes the camera and has a great idea: he's going to go to different electronic shops and see if he can't find who bought the camera! Edgeworth shows up and chuckles at Gumshoe's inefficiency: he overheard our entire conversation, it seems. The bear is custom-made, he tells us, and only a few are exported overseas. He takes the stuffed bear and tells us that he can find who bought it: he should still have enough time.

Going back to the office, we start bouncing theories off of Pearl. All the signs are pointing towards Matt being the person who hired De Killer: we head back to the hotel to see if we can find any more clues and find Oldbag investigating with the bug sweeper. She's ready to tell us more scandalous details about Matt. Apparently, Juan was engaged to Celeste. We knew that already, but Celeste killed herself three days after the marriage announcement! What in the world?!

Juan called off his engagement with Celeste for some reason. We head back to the police station one last time, and the Chief tells us that they've got a new witness. Great. Great! Fuckin' great. Edgeworth does us one more kindness and lets us visit the detention center even though visiting hours are over.

Heading back to the detention center, we're giving the option of talking to either Matt or Adrian. We talk to Matt first, and when we ask him about what the "secret" Juan wanted to reveal is...

This must be the key to everything.

We decide to talk to Adrian instead, and she gives us more information. She tells us that the reason she wanted to get her hands on Celeste's suicide note was to burn it: she didn't want anybody to ruin her memory by spreading lies about her. Adrian tells us that she didn't frame Matt—she just planted evidence to make it more obvious that he's the killer. We have no information right now, so heading back to the Police Department, we run into Will Powers: he's tomorrow's decisive witness.

When it comes to his testimony, WP can't say anything, but when it comes to Matt? He's a playboy. Every women swoons over him... except for Adrian. Besides her totally being gay, there's another obvious reason there: he had something to do with Celeste's suicide, didn't he? He's practically begging us to ask him about Celeste's suicide, so we do. He tells us some of Celeste's last words: "It looks like I got caught up with a truly insidious man." Perhaps something on that note incriminated Juan?

After we're done talking to WP, we get a phone call from Gumshoe. He's in a hurry: Edgeworth's gone and done something! He's found the person who bought the spy camera and the bear. It was... Matt Engarde. He even has the receipt to prove it.

It's undeniable now. Matt Engarde hired Shelly de Killer. It's time for us to go back to the detention center and confront him. His psyche-locks are hard to crack: he recorded Juan, he gave the bear to him, we have the receipt, and we know why he recorded everything. He wanted a video of Juan's death.

Finally, we've uncovered the truth... and Matt Engarde introduces himself.

The river.

He knows all about Maya's kidnapping. He knows that we can't possibly say that he's guilty. Engarde leaves, triumphant, and Edgeworth shows up. We have a conversation with him back at the precinct—we can't get Engarde acquitted. That's no proper defense. But Maya's situation... he asks us why we fight, but before we can get into a proper conversation, we're interrupted by De Killer.

De Killer explains why he kidnapped Maya. He had to take care of Matt: he's his client, after all. When he hangs up, we hear a meow: was that... Shoe?

We've met De Killer?! We rush back to Matt's house and find it empty. Dammit! He was here! We were face-to-face with him! Police units rush to Engarde mansion with us. We're too late, but we do get to investigate: we find the bear figurine and the tapes, but we're too late. The video's been taken.

We also find a message from Maya. She wants us to get Matt declared guilty. But we can't do that! We need to save her life. Dammit! There's only one thing we can do. We head back to the detention center and confront Adrian: she has a psyche-lock, and we break it. Adrian tells us the truth—Celeste killed herself because of Matt, who lied about still having a relationship with her. In her suicide note, she wrote down all of Matt's misdeeds: but Juan hid it, waiting to disclose everything in it at the perfect time. This must've been the "secret" he was going to reveal at the press conference.

With all of the information gathered before us...

Investigation comes to a close.

Trial, Day Two

Before trial, Matt taunts us and Mia talks to us. Matt calls us again and we scream into the receiver, causing Gumshoe to be rather hurt by what we have to say. Gumshoe? Oh. He's calling us. He's back on the investigation team and chasing after De Killer: he tells us that the plan in motion is to make the trial last for as long as possible.

With Gumshoe, Edgeworth, Maya, Pearl, and Mia at our backs, it's time for court!

Edgeworth brings up De Killer's calling card. Once it's established that Juan was assassinated, he calls WP to the stand. On the night of the murder, he visited Matt's room! WP testifies that Matt was talking to somebody. There's a trap here: and we need to fall for it, Mia implies. WP says that Matt gave the bellboy a tip, and when asked about something he found strange during said tip-giving he remembers what it was: a fat roll of cash. This was payment.

Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeat.

WP testifies that he saw the bellboy leaving Juan's room. Pressing him, we learn that the bellboy came out of Juan's room empty-handed: we have to pull some cheap tricks here. We point out the tomato juice, but Edgeworth counters: the bellboy was wearing gloves. Black leather gloves!

We're really grasping here...

A large wad of cash and black gloves is enough to convince His Honor that this bellboy is suspicious, however. WP testifies further, saying that the bellboy gave something to somebody in Matt's room after leaving Juan's room: when pressing him, we learn that WP can't remember who took it or what was given. Something was removed from the crime scene—this is added to WP's testimony, and we present the figurine we found in Matt's house.

This is damning proof that Matt was his client, wasn't it? We ask His Honor to stop his judgement—there are questions that need to be answered still! Who took the bear? Well, WP says it was the Nickel Samurai. Shit. Well, there's an issue with that. Matt was arrested at the hotel: so how could he take the bear home?! Edgeworth counters. We admitted to him that the butler was Shelly de Killer, after all.

We grasp at the tiniest of straws by claiming Adrian Andrews is the real client. The courtroom is turning against us, but we weather the abuse: we're doing this to save Maya. Edgeworth notices our logic has flaws... but he can't deny the possibility! He's letting this trial go on, thank God. He's prepared to challenge our theory and calls the only person who could dispel it to the stand: Adrian herself. Court is adjourned for a brief recess.

During our recess, we notice Pearl isn't channeling Mia anymore: a more powerful force has taken over her spirit. Gumshoe is calling us—he doesn't have any more leads and we snap at him for it, but Mia suddenly comes back. Maya was channeling her, and she was able to see something Maya couldn't: a circus tent! Gumshoe tells his team to search in a 300 foot radius around the Berry Big Circus: that's about how far away Mia thinks it was. Earlier on, it's actually mentioned in an optional examine conversation that the Berry Big Circus has just opened back up. There was also a small mailbox and Mia thinks it might've been an office building. Mia tells us how Maya's doing: she's being deliberately starved by De Killer. Is this how he intends to kill her?! That bastard!

Nevertheless, court reconvenes. Edgeworth asks her if she's seen the bear before: Adrian answers she has, and a desperate Phoenix is shocked. Adrian testifies that the figurine is actually a puzzle, and to unlock it you have to take certain pieces out in a certain order to reach its hollow center. Without knowing the order, you can't solve the puzzle, and therefore cannot open the container. Smart.

Not the first place I would've started.

How does she know about this puzzle? Simple. She bought it. It was meant to be a present for Juan during her scheme to get closer to him. Only she and Juan knew that it was actually a puzzle, which meant Matt didn't. This is interesting. After we press every statement, all eyes are on Adrian: she unlocks the puzzle box...

...and inside is Celeste's suicide note.

Adrian says that she looked all over for the bear after discovering Juan's body, but couldn't find it. There's only one thing we can do: read the contents of the note. Adrian knows she can't stop us and Edgeworth tells her that he can't be persuaded to stop anyways. His Honor reads the note aloud: inside the note is a detailed account of the abuse she went through under Matt, how she was engaged to Corrida, and how Matt destroying everything led her to end her own life. This is Edgeworth's motive: Matt killed Juan because he needed to get rid of that note by any means necessary.

We know we can't stop. We have to keep going: Gumshoe hasn't called anybody yet. Right as His Honor is about to declare his verdict we counter—there's no proof that Matt knew this was a puzzle box! Edgeworth shows us the spy camera, however. Wait. Isn't that in our possession? He explains that this is another spy camera of the same make and model that he found in Matt's mansion.

Mia tells us that there's one piece of evidence Edgeworth hasn't had the time to look further into: or ignored to. The suicide note itself. We point out one thing—there is no proof that this is Celeste's. The handwriting hasn't been analyzed, after all!

Hooh. This was a hefty one!

And so it comes to a close. Welcome to 3-5, the final case of both Trials & Tribulations and the Trilogy as a whole. I know, I can't believe we're here either. 3-5 is a fan favorite, and its reputation definitely precedes it: but does it hold itself up or will it come crumbling down? Let's take a look.

THE CORE CAST:

Phoenix Wright: Would it be a finale if Phoenix wasn't our playable character? A mysterious connection drives him to Hazakura Temple and connects him to this case...

Godot: Godot returns as our final prosecutor. With his connection to the Fey Family now firmly established, one has to wonder: what's his connection to Hazakura?

Mia Fey: Mia makes a few brief cameos in 3-5, appearing as Phoenix's guide… in more ways than one.

Maya Fey: Maya is the lynchpin of this entire case. How, exactly? Well, we'll get to that...

Pearl Fey: Pearl is our final main sidekick in the series, taking a central role in this case: and the main piece in a game she can't even come close to playing.

Miles Edgeworth: Miles makes a brief appearance as a supporting character and the third non-Phoenix playable character: and plays a key part in keeping the case running.

Franziska von Karma: Franziska makes a few brief appearances as a supporting character. She's, well... Franziska.

Dick Gumshoe: Would it be the Trilogy if our resident Seamus wasn't on the case?

Larry Butz: Larry makes a brief appearance in this case as a vital side-character, mirroring his roles in both 1-4 and 3-3 respectively. Interestingly, this means he's one of the only characters to show up in PW:AA and T&T, but not JfA!

THE MAIN CAST:

Elise Deauxnim: Elise Deauxnim is a world-renowned child's book author: but what is somebody like her doing up in the mountains, especially Hazakura Temple?

Sister Iris: Sister Iris is one of two people living in and tending to Hazakura Temple, and a hell of a coincidence makes Phoenix become very interested in her...

Sister Bikini: Bikini is the other nun in charge of Hazakura Temple, serving as Iris's caretaker and effectively her boss. She's also in charge of maintaining the temple's... friendly atmosphere.

THE SECONDARY CAST:

Dahlia Hawthorne: Dahlia Hawthorne's shadow looms over this case as a whole, in more ways than one...

Morgan Fey: Morgan Fey has spent a year putting the last of her plan into action, and we're about to see it all come to a head.

A BRIEF RECAP

The case opens with an exposition on the sword from 3-3: Shichishito, a legendary heirloom of the Fey Clan. Its branches represent the toss and turns of life itself, all coming to a single point...

...the end of said life.

Investigation, Day One Former

As many Ace Attorney cases do, 3-5 starts in the Wright & Co. Law Offices. Maya and Pearl are doing a clearly rehearsed routine to get Phoenix to agree to take them to Hazakura Temple, an obscure spirit channeling temple, in order to help train Maya's spiritual powers. Although Phoenix initially shoots the idea down, thinking that it's all just a big scam and later not wanting to go because he hates the cold, the issue of Oh! Cult! that Maya thrusts in his face makes him suddenly reconsider.

It can't be...

Dahlia Hawthorne. Phoenix's ex and the murderer of Doug Swallow and Valerie Hawthorne is suddenly a nun at some faraway occult temple? Well, now he's got to go. Phoenix turns on a dime and agrees to take Maya and Pearl, although he doesn't tell either the reason why. Traveling to Hazakura Temple, we meet the head nun: a short, jovial woman named Bikini. She explains to us what a channeling temple actually is: it's a holy, spiritual place, filled with spiritually powerful items that channelers train around. The "Special Course" that Maya signed up for is apparently just this... while sitting on a block of ice. And repeating a spell 30,000 times. And being showered in freezing water. Fun.

When we get to presenting the photo from the magazine, Bikini takes a bit of time to praise herself. She does slay the eyelashes. It turns out that the girl in the photo is named "Iris": and we ask her where this "Iris" is now. Bikini makes a joke about Phoenix looking for a girlfriend (closer than you think, sister) and Pearl glowers at him. She tells us that Iris should be in the Inner Temple, but we're welcome to go to the Main Hall while we wait for her. When we go into the main hall, we meet a strange-looking lady, complete with a fancy staff and weird hair. She introduces herself as Elise Deauxnim, and Pearl recognizes her: she's apparently a very famous children's book author. Elise and Pearl immediately hit it off, and it turns out that in conjunction with being an author she's also a talented illustrator. Apparently she's even took on an apprentice: a man calling himself Laurice Deauxnim. I wonder if he's here, too? Before we leave, Elise explains that she's here gathering material for a new book she's writing: she's not a spirit channeler herself. Elise takes her leave because she has to help with dinner and we decide to check out the Inner Temple.

Dope hair.

To get to the Inner Temple, however, we have to cross a big ol' rickety bridge: scaring Phoenix out of his wits! Looks like he's scared of heights. Don't blame him. Carefully crossing the bridge, we somehow get to the other side without throwing up everywhere. The inside of the Inner Temple is somehow even colder than the outside, and after a brief discussion with Maya, we come face-to-face with Iris. We recognize her, and she seems to recognize us. Maya doesn't seem to notice anything too odd, but Iris quickly runs off. We take a quick look around the temple and Maya cries out: on the big scroll in the Inner Temple is a picture of Maya's mother, Misty Fey! She doesn't recognize her, but the seal of the Master is right above the person depicted on the scroll.

We leave the Inner Temple and make it back across Dusky Bridge, where we run into Laurice- hey, wait a second. It's the Butz! We get to talking with him, and Larry tells us that he wanted to run away from his old life as Larry Butz. He read Elise's book "The Magic Bottle" and rediscovered himself, beginning a new life as Laurice Deauxnim: he even gives us a picture of Elise. Maya teases Larry about falling in love with Elise, and Larry says it's about the "other girl": he's fallen for Iris! Before we can keep talking with Larry, Pearl runs to see us: dinner's ready! After eating, Maya goes off with Bikini to begin her training and Pearl goes with Elise to practice her reading skills. Phoenix retreats to his room to stay warm, but in the middle of the night has to get up and go use the restroom. We run into Elise, who can't find Pearl, and we then run into Iris.

We get to talking with Iris. She's lived in Hazakura Temple for most of her life, and we get to asking the important question: did she go to Ivy U? Iris says that she didn't, and since there's no Psyche-Locks we can tell that she's not lying. Iris even says that she doesn't like spirit channeling very much: which makes it kind of weird that she decided to stay in here. Iris tells us that she has to go ring the bell for light's out, but she give us a hood to protect us from evil spirits. There's one thing, though: she says "Mr. Wright", but we never gave her our name. How, then, did she know it? When we ask if we've ever met...

She's hiding something, for sure!

Iris does know us! But how does she know us?! That's the question we need to answer, but after Iris rings the lights out bell we don't have the chance. Somebody screams out in the night, and when we go to check out... we find Elise Deauxnim's body, impaled on a giant, multi-branched sword! Unfortunately, Phoenix forgot his cell phone, so we're gonna have to use the pay phone near Dusky Bridge: but when we get there...

See the bridge in flames!

When we get to Dusky Bridge, it's on fire! Larry runs into us: we tell him about the murder and our need to cross the temple, and he tells us not to be an idiot, but we have no other choice! Maya's still in the Inner Temple! With all other options firmly out of his mind, Phoenix crosses the bridge: but a plank breaks, and Phoenix falls down, down, down into Eagle River...

Investigation, Day One Latter

Edgeworth is woken up by a call in the middle of the night. After hearing that Phoenix's life might be in danger, he charters a private jet and flies over: and, by the time he gets there, knows more about what happened than Larry himself. Apart from some minor bruises and a nasty cold, Phoenix is gonna be alright. Before Edgeworth left his hospital room, though, Phoenix gave him two things: his Magatama and his... Attorney's Badge.

There's a defense attorney named Edgeworth back in town, baby! For the time being, anyways. We, as Edgeworth, get to talking with Iris. Edgeworth also gets the suspicion that he's met Iris before: remember back in 3-4? When we ask her if we've met, however, she tells us that we're misremembering and the reason she lives at the temple despite having no spiritual power is that she has some "sins to pay for". Given that there's no psyche-locks, she must be telling the truth: this isn't Dahlia? When it comes to why she didn't go back to the training hall, she tells us she was frightened of something: but when we ask...

Psycholocks!

She doesn't really have anything more to say, but out of curiosity we do ask her if she killed Elise Deauxnim: and she says, resolutely, no. Edgeworth doesn't know this, but because there's no psyche-locks around that, we know for a fact that Iris is innocent in that regard. But seven psyche-locks in total... she's keeping secret after secret. Before we leave, Iris tells us that five years ago she "deceived" Phoenix: is this all connected to Dahlia after all?

We leave Iris and head up to Hazakura: and who's waiting for us at Dusky Bridge? None other than Detective Dick Gumshoe! Time to do some sleuthing as a prosecutor for once. Gumshoe is ready to get cracking with us, but when he brings up Godot Edgeworth doesn't know what he's talking about. Apparently, Edgeworth's never heard of the guy! He just showed up one day at the Prosecutor's Office with no notice? What's up with this dude?

Going back to the Main Gate, we meet with Larry and get to talking with him. After talking about Iris, we ask him the question: what was he doing the night of the murder? Turns out he's got Psyche-Locks, too! We can't get anywhere with Larry, so we're back to the Main Hall, where Edgeworth meets Bikini. Gumshoe tells us that Bikini is the witness to the murder: she tells us that she left the Main Hall around 9:00 PM to start Maya's training but returned around 11:00 PM, when she witnessed the murder. When we asked her why she returned, however, she conveniently avoids the question.

Have I mentioned I love Bikini's design?

If she's not going to tell us why she came back, then she can at least tell us what she saw. Bikini isn't fond of the memory: she saw Iris stabbing Elise in the back with a sword! Bikini says that she passed out from shock after seeing what had happened, but says that it felt so unnatural: Iris had no reason to do something like that. We finally get around to asking Bikini why she left Maya: she has a bad back, and because of how cold it was her back had locked up! She had to go back to the Main Hall for a warm bath to loosen it and told Iris to watch over Maya in the Inner Temple. Of course, Iris never returned to the Inner Temple. So where did Iris go...?

Bikini tells us one more thing: Pearl's nowhere to be found! She was supposed to be with Elise all night, but she slipped away from her and has been missing ever since! This is bad. Looking around the Main Hall, we discover a note: addressed to Iris, no less, threatening to reveal a secret unless she met with its writer! At least one part of this case is starting to be put together.

Returning to Hazakura Temple's courtyard, we talk to Gumshoe for a bit: we're going to honor our obligation to Iris and represent her in court tomorrow for Phoenix's sake! We get to talking about the case itself with him. The victim was impaled with a giant sword, but her body was covered in bruises like she had fallen from a two story window, roughly the same height as the room she was staying in. Maybe she was pushed out of the window and then impaled with the sword? We talk a bit about the trial tomorrow. Apparently, Godot's not showing up for court: probably because Phoenix isn't the one doing the defending. Who's it going to be, then? Edgeworth says he's pulled some strings: maybe it'll be ol' Winston. The Inner Temple is on the other side of Dusky Bridge, which burned down last night, and there's no other way to access it. Gumshoe tells us that it's not a place that a person could survive in for a very long time...

Aww, he cares!

Taking a look around the crime scene itself, we stumble upon two pieces of evidence: Elise's staff and Shichishito itself, the sword that Elise was killed with. Unfortunately, Iris's fingerprints are on Shichishito! Great. We're done investigating here, so there's really only one thing we can do: go back to the Detention Center and talk with Iris. It's time to break her Psycholocks! The first question we need to answer is why she was so frightened: and we know for a fact that it was the note that Larry wrote for her. What was the secret about? Maybe it didn't have to do with the note itself, but there was a secret Iris was keeping: her relationship with Phoenix. The Psycholocks break and we get Iris to talk! The "Heavenly Hall" mentioned in the letter is a small shack near the base of Dusky Bridge, but she didn't go out of fear that there was a criminal or some other sort of scoundrel waiting for her. Iris testifies that she never left her room during the night of the murder, which we formally get in writing, and we leave after not being able to get her to admit she went to the Inner Temple.

Going down to Heavenly Hall, we have to hide for a moment when we hear somebody's voice. It's just Larry! Looks like he wrote the letter to Iris. Larry avoids all of our questions, and it looks like he's still head-over-heels for Iris: when we ask about the night of the crime, he's hiding behind three Psycholocks! Thankfully, these should prove easy to break, since we've got all the evidence we need. We get to asking, and Larry tells us that he saw the moment Dusky Bridge went up in flames: but that's not what he's hiding. When we ask Larry about where he was, he lies and says he was in his room, but that's impossible: the Main Hall is surrounded by tall trees, making a direct view to the bridge impossible from his room. He saw the bridge go up in flames from Heavenly Hall: and he was waiting there for Iris because he wrote the letter!

There's one thing left: Larry is still acting edgy, funnily enough, which means he had to have seen something else-

Psycho killer...

With that, Edgeworth gives up on breaking these locks and prepares to get the truth out of him... in court, bringing the first day of investigation to a close!

Yep. That was the shortest day in this case. It's gonna be a long one, folks!

Trial, Day One

Before the trial, we reassure Iris that we're going to fight for her. Apparently, Edgeworth's made some "necessary arrangements" to make sure his identity as a prosecutor isn't outed: and when we walk into the courtroom, we see just what those arrangements were!

OH MY GOD IT'S MRS. GENDER HERSELF

In addition to Franziska returning as our prosecutor, Colin Moch- er, the Judge from 3-4 returns! Franziska makes a pledge to crush Miles today—come on, you flew in just to help him out, you caaaaaare—and Franziska makes her opening statement. In addition to laying out the facts of the case, confirming that Elise was killed by the sword itself, she gives us a photograph of the crime scene. Franziska brings in her first witness, and after a few milk crates are brought in for her to stand on, Bikini takes the stand! Yeah, I'm surprised it isn't Gumshoe, too. This is the first non-intro case in a long time where our first witness isn't the detective!

Anyways, Bikini gives her testimony. Bikini's testimony is basically what she told us: she went to help out Maya in the Inner Temple, but her back pain flared up and she had to go back for a bath and left Iris to help Maya. When she was going back to the Inner Temple, that's when she saw Iris stabbing Elise. We present Iris's testimony to the claim that Bikini left her with Maya: Iris told us that she never went back to the Inner Temple! Bikini adds another statement to her testimony, saying that Iris was dressed the same as she was for dinner. Finally, a hole in her testimony! Iris was wearing the demon-warding hood at dinner and gave it to Phoenix afterwards. She couldn't have looked the exact same as she did at dinner: we've brought her memory into question!

Franziska tries to wiggle out of this by saying there was a surplus of hoods at the temple. Bikini says that each acolyte is only given one hood, and this fact alone is enough to get His Honor to demand another testimony. Bikini testifies about her return from the bath: she got out around 11, heard a noise from the courtyard, and saw Iris stabbing Elise. She figured that Elise must've been stabbed after she was pushed out of her window. Pressing Bikini, she finally tells us that Iris wasn't, in fact, wearing her hood! More importantly, though, what Bikini's telling us is impossible: Elise got all of those bruises after she died! She couldn't have been killed in the courtyard!

The plot thickens!

There were no blood stains nor signs of a struggle in Elise's room: ergo, she did not die in her room, either! Franziska counters. When people are stabbed, far more blood is spilled when the weapon is removed from their wound—the sword would've acted like a lid for the blood, more or less. His Honor accepts this as plausible and asks Bikini to give another testimony. Bikini testifies that she didn't see the exact moment Elise was stabbed, supporting Franziska's theory. Bikini also says that there was indeed blood in the courtyard, and when Iris was arrested her blood-stained clothes were folded neatly in her room. There's an issue between these two statements, and Bikini tells us that she saw Iris pulling Shichishito out of Elise's body: the sword was in her to the hilt.

Bingo! Bikini's claim that Shichishito was in Elise's body to the hilt is impossible. First of all, Shichishito is big and heavy. It'd be incredibly hard for Iris to stab somebody to the hilt with it! Second of all, if somebody was stabbed up to the hilt with the sword, it'd be impossible to pull out cleanly: look at all the branches on it! Finally, if Elise was stabbed up to the hilt, then why is there only blood on the tip of the sword? There's only one conclusion. Elise Deauxnim was not killed with Shichishito!

I just really like this shot.

After asking Franziska, we get confirmation that no other sword-like weapons were found at the crime scene. We've got a trial without a murder weapon! Bikini butts in: she might know where our missing murder weapon went! After going out to the Main Gate, she saw tracks indicating that Hazakura Temple's snowmobile had been used. There might be an answer to this: Iris used the snowmobile and threw the murder weapon into Eagle River below, making sure it was never found. There's just one slight issue. If the theory that Bikini is proposing is true, then why is there only one set of tracks? There should be two: one from when the snowmobile left and one from when it came back!

Franziska claims that snow covered the tracks from the first journey. This is impossible. Let's take a look at the crime scene. Was it snowing in the courtyard when she was killed? The answer is a resounding no. After all, there's no snow on Elise's body! An idea that we have, that Iris might've used the snowmobile to travel to the Inner Temple, is thrown out. Bikini didn't see it by Dusky Bridge, and if it was taken to the Inner Temple then she couldn't have seen it at the Main Gate. Bikini will be taking her leave, and we have an idea on who might be able to answer the Mystery of the Snow-Covered Mobile. Somebody who saw "something incredible" that night: Larry Butz, Elise's own student! We take a brief recess while Larry gets subpoena'd.

Larry! You lousy motherfucker. Get your dork ass into the Courtroom right now!

During the recess, we directly ask Iris about the Inner Temple: either she or Bikini is lying about if she went there not. Iris maintains that she remained in her own room. The second question is raised: only she had a key to the snowmobile. So she did use it! When we ask her why she went to Dusky Bridge, though, we're met with five Psycholocks. She says she can't tell us about that yet: not until Maya's safety is confirmed.

Court is reconvened and Larry is called to the stand. After a brief exchange with Franziska, Larry gives his first bit of testimony. Although he was at the lodge, he never saw anybody at Dusky Bridge nor a snowmobile. That last part's a blatant lie: he saw Phoenix there! We get a new testimony from Larry, and he tells us that he actually saw the moment Dusky Bridge caught on fire. There's a brief moment where Franziska is clearly worried for Phoenix after learning he crossed Dusky Bridge while it was on fire (awwww, she really does care i love her imdfguiosjgoifsajogisaf). We press Larry for more information, and eventually ask him why he didn't call anybody when he saw the bridge was on fire.

He testifies that Phoenix showed up a bit after he got to the bridge, and we have our contradiction! Larry said earlier that it takes less than 5 minutes to get from the shack to the bridge, but that he also initially ignored it: so he got to the bridge around 11:00 PM. 11 PM is when the murder occurred, meaning Phoenix was at the temple; Larry couldn't have seen Phoenix then. It took the bridge around 45 minutes to burn down, and when Phoenix got there the flames were starting to die out: he had to have gotten there around 11:15, so there's a 15 minute gap that Larry is entirely unaccounted for!

A bridge was burning down in front of Larry and he didn't call it in for 15 entire minutes! There must have been a reason. Larry drops the act: he's going to tell us why he didn't do anything for 15 minutes. Or, rather... show us! He tells us he saw Iris flying, 30 feet in the air: and he has the audacity to show us exactly what he saw!

I'M ON THAT GOOD KUSH AND ALCOHOL

We know for a fact this can't be Iris, as Larry testifies she had her hood on when we know she didn't. After we point this out, His Honor is ready to dismiss this drawing entirely, but Larry says he has proof that somebody did indeed fly that night. He found a large, bloody crystal sphere in the snow: one that looks... suspiciously like the one missing from Elise's staff.

No.

Elise's sphere was found near the bridge on the night of the murder. Could it be that she was the one flying in this picture? Franziska dismisses this claim: she thinks the sphere is a red herring, tossed there after the murder. We can prove it wasn't. We can prove it was dropped before the murder took place: the sphere was buried in snow, whereas there's no snow on the victim's body. If the sphere was actually placed there after the murder, then there wouldn't have been any snow on top of it! We've cracked... something, at least. What if the murder actually took place at the foot of Dusky Bridge? What Bikini saw was not the murder: she saw the murder weapon being removed from Elise's body. Iris wasn't the murderer. She was an accomplice!

The victim's body was carried to Hazakura Temple via the snowmobile, explaining the tracks. We've managed to do exactly what we were meant to do: buy time! We have proven that this case needs further investigation. Where did the true murder take place? Why was her body moved? What exactly did Larry draw?

Those are all questions...

Welcome to a new trilogy! 4-1 is the beginning of the Apollo Justice Trilogy, set seven years after Trials and Tribulations and featuring an entirely new cast of characters. This is also the first case I'll be playing and sharing screenshots from my own playthrough from: so expect my review to be more in-depth than others! Without further ado, let's see if 4-1 really takes the pot... or is a total flop!

THE CORE CAST:

Apollo Justice: Apollo Justice is fresh out of law school and taking on his first case—which turns out to be a murder in a shady Russian restaurant doubling as a poker club!

Kristoph Gavin: Kristoph Gavin is Apollo's mentor and boss, as well as a close friend of the defendant. He's got a knack for poetry and theatrics. Silly little drama queen.

Phoenix Wright: Phoenix returns in a mysterious new getup and as a mysterious new man. He's apparently been banned from practicing law!

Phoenix's Daughter: Phoenix's unnamed daughter serves a vital role in this case, although we never learn her name... or her motivations.

Winston Payne: This is the last case that Winston plays a major role in. Let's win this one for the Gipper!

THE MAIN CAST:

Olga Orly: Olga Orly is a waitress doubling as a shady poker dealer. Her Russian accent might be impeccable, but her manners...

THE SECONDARY CAST:

Shadi Smith: Shadi Smith is our victim. A mysterious traveler with an even more mysterious history... sounds right up our alley!

A BRIEF RECAP

Our case opens with a man hard at work on a painting sketch. We pass by various other paintings before the camera focuses on the man's signature. It looks like he was drawing a poker game between people: a game that suddenly becomes reality as one of the players loses, flying into a frenzy and grabbing a bottle!

Our scene suddenly changes from the painting to real life. The surviving player is on the phone, talking to somebody... putting their life in their mysterious friend's hands "should it come to that".

Talk about a dead man's hand.

Trial, Day One

Our palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy. Nevertheless, we're here: and we've got our boss, Kristoph Gavin, to back us up. After giving us some friendly advice, he introduces us to our client: a mysterious man with mysteriously defined cheekbones!

Our mystery client never introduces himself, simply saying that he's comfortable with our defense, and before long trial is in session. Winston Payne returns, bearing the best hairdo in any video game ever, and His Honor greets our client...

Wait, what? (note: I can't find an option to get rid of the hotkeys, so get used to them!)

Phoenix introduces himself: not as a defense attorney, but as a piano player! After a brief roast competition between Winston and Phoenix, we're introduced to the case: Phoenix has been accused of murdering a customer at the Russian restaurant he works in, a joint called the Borscht Bowl Club. Catchy name. Our victim was killed by a single blow to the head from a bottle of grape juice. Looks like Phoenix has a taste for the good stuff: if you read the Russian on the bottle, it's actually vaguely implied to be sparkling grape juice. Fancy.

We're then introduced to our victim: one Shadi Smith, mysterious traveler and vagabond. His connection to Phoenix is unknown, and his passport suggests he'd been out of the country for a number of years. Quite the intriguing setup. Payne gives us a motive anyways: Phoenix and Shadi were engaged in a thrilling game of poker. Although Phoenix is initially suspected of illegal gambling, it's soon explained that the game was all for points instead of actual money.

Murder and poker in a mysterious Russian joint...

Anyways, His Honor asks Phoenix to testify about the poker game and he happily obliges. Phoenix testifies that while he's officially a pianist, his real job is to take on challengers at the poker table. Each game is played using two sets of cards, and although no money is exchanged the customers are happy for the challenge. It's time for our first cross-examination! After a brief intermission where Kristoph, kind soul that he is, gives us a pep-talk, it's time for us to get pressing!

We press Phoenix about his job as a poker player. He makes an incredible boast: he's played poker in the Borscht Bowl Club for the past seven years and hasn't lost once. Ever. Does that mean he's been out of the courtroom for seven years...? The main driving force of the restaurant is to defeat this undefeated poker player. There's also a small window in the room he plays in: to keep watch, back when the Bowl Club was a black market hotspot. Finally, Phoenix explains the decks. Two decks of cards with two differently-colored backs were used to prevent cheating—after all, you couldn't swap in cards if there were two decks, and even if somebody swapped in a card from the other deck then they'd be made instantly.

After our pressing routine, His Honor stops us: the court understands the game well enough now. His Honor is not willing to write it off as a simple game, though, and Kristoph asks Phoenix about his role in the murder specifically. We get a new statement and our first contradiction: Phoenix claims he never touched the murder weapon, yet his fingerprints were found on the bottle!

Saucy.

Payne quickly buts in, saying that we've made a mistake: Phoenix's fingerprints were found all over the bottle. We counter, asking what's suspicious about fingerprints on a bottle in a restaurant, but Payne tells us something suspicious: the fingerprints on the bottle were upside-down, the way you'd grab a bottle to brain somebody! This seems like a broadside, but Kristoph isn't flustered. Phoenix is asked about the fingerprints and he stays silent. Kristoph asks who reported the murder, and Winston confirms that it was Phoenix: he had to walk upstairs to get reception to call the police. His cell phone is admitted into evidence, and Kristoph asks Winston to stop playing with the defendant: he's pieced together that Winston has a witness.

Winston calls his witness, a timid waitress at the restaurant named Olga Orly. After being promised Apollo's horns won't hurt her, she straightens up and takes a picture of His Honor. Apparently, that's her job! Speaking of pictures... she provides us with a picture of the crime scene before the murder!

Fancy suit, meet zaddy sweats.

Olga says that she was even in the room on the night of the murder: and if Phoenix isn't our killer, does that mean Olga is? She's ordered by His Honor to give her first testimony. Olga testifies that she was the dealer for their poker game. Right after the last hand, Phoenix leapt across the table and began strangling Shadi! The contradiction here is obvious: Shadi was bludgeoned to death, not strangled. Before we can point out that contradiction, though, Winston provides us with a photo of the table that night. More chips are definitely on Shadi's side of the table, supporting the idea that he won the game...

Anyways, it's now time for our cross-examination! When we point out the flaw in Olga's testimony, we go further: we call her even seeing the crime into question! Payne gives us a new photo of Shadi's head after he was hit, featuring a nasty bruise and a streak of blood going down his scalp. Olga says again that Phoenix went for Shadi's neck.

This contradiction isn't enough to break through Olga's testimony, though, so we have to try harder. Her testimony changes, saying that Shadi was hit with the bottle after Phoenix tried to strangle him. We can't break that statement, but we can break another: Olga also testified about Smith playing with a locket around his neck, but in the new photo there is no such locket! Phoenix wasn't strangling Shadi. He was going for the locket around his neck!

Look at this photograph!

His Honor notices something: Phoenix is wearing a locket right now. Phoenix explains that it's a locket with a photograph of his daughter. Well, that clears that up.

Wait.

His what?!

We consider this more than just a coincidence, but we can't push on anymore. His Honor is requesting new testimony about the outcome of the game, and even though Winston says it's not necessary His Honor asks for testimony anyways. Olga explains that the game began with 3,500 points in chips for each person, and that the victim was indeed winning. In the last hand, Phoenix went all-in and lost, grabbing the bottle and smacking Shadi with it. If Phoenix isn't lying, then this testimony has to be wrong!

It's time for our cross-examination. We drill Olga for information, confirming that all the chips in the photo were all of the chips used for the entire game. Olga hesitates to confirm this, though, and we press harder. Which chips were worth more points? She says that there were two types: 100 point chips and 1,000 point chips. We ask her to add that to her testimony and get our contradiction. If the small chips were worth 100 points and the big chips were worth 1,000 points, then the final calculation doesn't add up. The total should be 7,000 points, but in that case the total would be over 10,000 points! But if the small chips were worth 1,000 points and the big chips were worth 100 points, then the case suddenly gets turned on it head. Not only does that give us exactly 7,000 points, but it'd mean Phoenix was winning!

I adore this sprite. He's so goofy.

Before His Honor can finish questioning Olga's testimony, she interrupts the court. She has a revelation to make: in the last hand, there was a cheater! His Honor demands Olga testify about the cheat. Olga testifies that both Phoenix and Shadi had a full house (a pair and a three of a kind in one hand), and apparently Phoenix was the cheater: yet looking at these hands... they're not particularly off to us. Phoenix had a losing hand due to the king kickers, sure, but there's no evidence of cheating per se. Another curiosity: Phoenix still lost the final hand. If he did cheat, then how do you cheat and lose, especially if you've been cheating for seven years straight?

Regardless, it's time for cross-examination. We ask Olga exactly what's so "clear" about the cheat, and Olga claims that Phoenix had a fifth ace: but the picture blatantly proves otherwise. Olga's claim that Shadi's hand had three aces and Phoenix's had two is blown out of the water! There was no "fifth ace". Olga continues to swear that there was cheating: that she saw the fifth ace firsthand. Kristoph asks Winston to submit the hands themselves as evidence. We ask to investigate Shadi's hand. After all, it's the hand that was supposed to have our mysterious "fifth ace"... and when we investigate it, there's something suspicious alright. One of the cards has a blue back instead of red!

Talk about a back 'wreathed in blue flame'...

Olga slips up, saying she's sure she slipped that card into Wright's hand. Kristoph catches it: he suggests that our cheater was none other than Ms. Orly herself. If she meant to put a false card into Phoenix's hand, then it wasn't Phoenix who cheated. It was Shadi Smith! It's not hard to imagine a fight between Olga and Smith after the failed cheat, and Olga faints from shock after we accuse her of murder. His Honor asks Winston where Olga is, and Winston says she's still unconscious. His Honor tells us that he can't make a verdict at this time: not when there's an open question about Shadi's connection to Olga. Before he can pronounce an adjournment, however, somebody objects: none other than Phoenix himself.

He mysteriously proclaims that the trial can't end yet, and His Honor asks for more testimony about the game itself. Phoenix explains that there were two decks of cards: blue and red, to prevent cards from getting mixed between decks. They were using a red deck for the last game, even if His Honor has an inclination that they were using blue cards. Phoenix says that the card being slipped into the deck raises two serious questions. Phoenix asks us to answer the first question: the cards could've been swapped before, during, or after the murder.

"When was the card swapped into the deck?" There's only one real logical conclusion: it had to have been after the murder. After all, you'd be able to tell if somebody was cheating based on the backs of the cards if you were playing. Since the game lasted until showdown time in the final hand, then the card being swapped before the murder doesn't make much sense. The only explanation is that the card was swapped after the murder!

Phoenix asks us the second question: "who swapped in the blue card?" Although Kristoph tries to push the idea that it was Olga, that seems incredibly unlikely given her professional cheating habits and knowledge of the decks. What if it was somebody else entirely, somebody who didn't know what color the deck was? A fourth person? Phoenix has a good chuckle to himself.

A turnabout, if you will?

The person who swapped in the wrong card made two mistakes: swapping in a blue card and swapping in a king instead of an ace. The possibility of a fourth person is undeniable, and Phoenix makes a bold claim that there was a fourth person that night. His Honor calls for a brief recess and calls Kristoph to his chambers.

During the recess, Kristoph and Phoenix have a brief discussion before Kristoph goes off to His Honor's chambers. Phoenix tells us that we did well, and we ask him about the locket around his neck: he tells us that there is indeed a picture of his daughter in there, even showing her to us. When we ask Phoenix if he cheated during the poker game, he mysteriously asks us what we think. After all, we know "what he did" seven years ago.

...A little young to be Maya's, right?

Moving on, he tells us to keep an eye on people's body language. Court is like poker: if you can read what your opponent is thinking then you have a good chance of winning. Olga, for instance, touched the back of her neck during certain parts of her testimony: apparently, it's something that we'll be able to pick up on soon. Phoenix says he hasn't told the truth to anybody during this trial, but before we can ask him for clarification court is back in session.

Winston informs the court that Olga's regained consciousness, and she's soon called back to the stand to testify: she reveals her true colors, sporting a new outfit and personality. She's Olga "Quick-Fingers" Orly, a professional card dealer!

I love her design so much.

Olga makes a vague statement that "they" had a plan: she clarifies that she was in cahoots with Shadi Smith, planted at the bowl club days prior as a waitress. The plan was to plant a card on Phoenix and then deal five aces in the last hand of the game—framing him as a fraud and destroying the legend. His Honor asks her to testify about the trap, and Olga gladly does so.

Olga tells us that she planted the card on Phoenix, but sometime before Shadi searched him the card mysteriously disappeared. After the trap failed, Phoenix picked up the bottle and hit Shadi. We get to cross-examining. Pressing Olga for more information, she tells us that the card was nowhere: not in the Hydeout, the room the played in, nor on Phoenix's person. The card that Phoenix threw away, the Five of Hearts, remains unaccounted for. We press her again, and then-

Ba-dump.

Something odd happens. Our vision grows blurry. There's something... wrong. We accuse Olga of hiding something, and to try again we ask her one more time. She says she saw the moment Phoenix hit Shadi. Is this true? She says it is, and it happens again!

There's a joke here, but I don't know what it is yet.

Remember when Phoenix said that Olga would touch the back of her neck during parts of her testimony? Take a look at that sprite. When we think about it, our vision doesn't get blurry: it gets sharp, sharper than ever before. We take a look at Olga's hand and she's definitely rubbing the back of her neck. Apollo puts it together: she's remembering something, at least subconsciously. But what is it she's remembering? It happens when she remembers the moment of the crime. Maybe she needs to see something from the crime itself to remember what happened: what about the bottle? Olga definitely reacts to this. If she's the witness, then why does she react like she was the one hit?

...Unless she was! We ask Olga to testify about the exact moment of the crime. After a brief retreat into her Russian facade, she testifies as we ask: Olga says that she didn't let Phoenix out of her sight until the cops came, but we know that's impossible. After all, Phoenix left the Hydeout to call the cops!

Olga is finally bested. She says that it wasn't Phoenix who swung the bottle: it was Shadi, hitting her on the back of the neck after their plan failed. When Olga woke back up Shadi was dead. Kristoph is asked what he thinks about it: and he takes a step further than us, directly accusing Olga of lying about this version of events.

Hohkay, Mr. Sassy Pants.

He raises a good point: only three people were in that room and Olga had a motive. In the aftermath of the cheat being exposed, wouldn't it make sense for Olga to attack Shadi out of anger? Phoenix interrupts with one of my favorite lines in the series. Such a conclusion isn't like Kristoph, he explains: why not consider the other possibility that there was a fourth person in the Hydeout? Phoenix even tells us that a clue was dropped during the beginning of trial as to who our mysterious "fourth person" may be. He explains that there is one person in the courtroom who thought the cards were blue instead of red.

...their backs, wreathed in blue flame...

Kristoph! Phoenix congratulates us: Kristoph Gavin was indeed the fourth person that night. There's no way he could've known the color of the cards before the color pictures were presented, but he did anyways—and more importantly he got the colors wrong. Kristoph is understandably surprised to see he's being accused, and after a brief back-and-forth between Phoenix, Kristoph, and ourselves, we get to ask Phoenix to testify about what happened before. Phoenix explains that he and Kristoph had dinner together and everything basically went the same way as Olga described: trap sprung, trap failed, Olga hit. Phoenix left to call the cops because of how dangerous Shadi was. When Phoenix returned, Shadi was dead.

There is an inconsistency here. Phoenix says he saw the cut on Shadi's head: but how could he see that given that Shadi died with his hat on? Phoenix explains that he was the one to put the hat back on Shadi's head, although he doesn't tell us why.

Nervous, Apollo?

This isn't enough to completely break through Phoenix's testimony, though, and Kristoph urges us on. "Go for the KO!", he says! It really does feel like war between Wright and Gavin now. We go back to his testimony and ask about the trap. Phoenix says that he just managed to find the card in his pocket and stuffed it in one of his bottles of grape juice. An empty bottle of grape juice. Did he put it in the murder weapon? Phoenix says he did, but we check out the weapon and find no card in there. We present this contradiction to the court and Phoenix has no answer. Kristoph cuts the testimony short, accusing Phoenix of lying, but he shoots back and says that he hasn't told a single lie in his testimony. He even finally tells us the reason why he put the hat back on Shadi's head!

Phoenix plays his phone call with Kristoph. Kristoph remarked that somebody "cracked that flawless bone china pate": and if Shadi never took off his hat, then how could Kristoph have known he was bald? The stage is set for a showdown between Kristoph and Phoenix! A brief recess is called while Kristoph's testimony is prepared.

During the recess, we're approached by a girl in the defendant's lobby. She encourages us to pick a card, any card: we pick one, an Ace of Spades. She tells us that this is our "trump card" to get past the "last hand". We take a look at it... and the splotch of blood on it. This is the ace taken from the hand!

The hand is dealt...

Furthermore, the girl that gave us the card... she looked just like Phoenix's daughter. Nevertheless, court is back in session: and when Kristoph is called to the stand, Phoenix joins us as our co-counsel! When he objects the original PW:AA objection theme starts playing which is so fucking cool. We present our case to the court. Shadi never took off his hat except for when he was hit. The only time Kristoph could've seen his bald head is that very moment: in other words, he had to have been the real killer.

Kristoph laughs and says that he hasn't been honest with the court. It's time for testimony! Kristoph says that he returned to the club after passing by Shadi. He went down to the Hydeout and saw, through the window, Shadi's bald head: after Phoenix had hit him with the bottle.

You said it, sister.

Our cross-examination begins. It's time to grill Kristoph for information: everything he's saying makes sense, though. He looked through the window because he didn't want to walk in on the game. He senses we're adamant about a fourth person being the real killer, and he asks us what reason the killer would have to swap out a card from Shadi's hand. When we present the ace...

Kristoph goes ballistic. He shouts at us, demanding to know where we got the card from: Phoenix explains that it's his, having picked it up at the crime scene. Kristoph is more than ballistic, he's apoplectic, shouting that the card is a fraud and can't be permittable as evidence. Phoenix asks him how he's so sure. The only person who can be sure it's a fraud is the person who took it from the scene of the crime... the real killer! He presents his theory. What if the killer took the card because of the blood on it? Kristoph lambasts the idea as baseless conjecture.

me when i see a point i agree with

Phoenix encourages to think about this for a bit. If everything was set up just like it was when Shadi died, then how did the blood get onto the ace in his hand? Phoenix solves the contradiction for us, telling us that they were playing in swivel chairs. That would mean Shadi was turned around in his chair when he was killed but turned back around when he died. That's why the killer had to take the card. But then the killer's position doesn't make sense. There'd be a cabinet in the way! Winston calls us out but Phoenix has our back, saying that if the cupboard would be in the way then maybe it wasn't there during the crime. Phoenix asks His Honor to send a team to investigate the cupboard alongside another set of secret instructions. Regardless, If the cupboard was moved, then it'd cover the window... where Kristoph claims to have witnessed the murder! His testimony has been blown wide open!

Right as Phoenix is grilling Kristoph about this very question, the team sent to the Bowl Club returns. The cupboard is, indeed, movable: and there's a secret passage behind it that Phoenix tells us goes up to the first floor! It's all coming together. When Shadi hit Olga and Phoenix went upstairs to call the cops, that's when he emerged! Shadi turned around to see what the commotion was, was hit by the bottle, and Kristoph slunk back into the secret passage. If he looked down at the cards on the floor he would've noticed they were red: but he didn't!

Right as His Honor issues a warrant for Kristoph's arrest...

He's got one last card up his sleeve.

Kristoph objects. Phoenix hasn't proven anything: all he's done is used illegal evidence to frame an innocent man. Phoenix asks what's still suspicious about him, and Kristoph points out the bottle: it's still covered with his inverted fingerprints. There's a good reason for their existence, though. Imagine you're sitting down with a bottle next to to you. When you go down to drink from it... you grab by the neck, the same way you'd grab a bottle to brain somebody! Kristoph realized this, too, when he killed Smith. Phoenix was sitting down while playing poker and the bottle was on the table: those fingerprints wouldn't be inverted. But the bottles next to his piano bench? Kristoph asks for proof we switched the bottles, and Phoenix provides: remember his other instructions to the team investigating the Hydeout? He told them to look for bottles under the piano bench.

One was found, and inside is our missing Five of Hearts! Somebody, our real killer, did switch the bottles. The only person that could be is Kristoph Gavin. Kristoph has nowhere left to run—he slams his fist into the witness stand. Before he's arrested for Shadi's murder, he mysteriously asks Phoenix if this is "revenge for the events that took away his attorney's badge seven years ago": did Kristoph have something to do with that?

Nonetheless, Phoenix is found not guilty. He laments that this is a "dark time" for the legal system, one brought on by the Initial Trial System itself. In any case, court is adjourned!

Darth Kristoph displays his force mastery.

In the aftermath, we have a chat with Phoenix. He asks us if we noticed it: our "ability", a sensitivity that he lacks. The locket's also clarified: we tell him we met his daughter, and Phoenix says the locket was Shadi's. Phoenix can't tell us why Shadi had a locket with his daughter inside, but he brushes that away to ask us if we want to work for him at the Wright & Co. Law Offices. When we ask him if he ever wants to return to the courtroom, he tells us he's "not qualified": after all, there was a piece of forged evidence used in today's trial. The bloody ace.

Upon learning it was forged, we punch Phoenix in the face. After he tells us to shout "Take that!" next time, he gives us some well-wishes and goes off on his merry way.

And with that... Turnabout Trump comes to a close!

What Really Happened?

Seven years ago, Phoenix Wright was disbarred from his position as a defense attorney. To make ends meet, and to support his daughter, Phoenix took up a job as a poor piano player by day and a poker shark by night: and for seven long years he never lost a game. Eventually, a traveler named Shadi Smith discovered the undefeated poker legend and challenged him to a game. Ultimately, Smith attempted to cheat and frame Phoenix as a fraud, but Phoenix evaded Smith's trap: Smith planned to plant a card on Phoenix's person and accuse him of swapping his own cards, using a hired dealer to "find" the "swapped" card in his pocket. Phoenix found the planted card and stuffed it in a bottle of grape juice he was drinking. When Smith's trap failed, he went into a rage and attacked the dealer he colluded with, Olga Orly, smacking her on the back of the neck with a bottle so hard that she passed out. Phoenix, now scared for his own life, ran upstairs and called the police.

Kristoph Gavin had other plans. Using a secret tunnel in the Hydeout behind a movable bookshelf to sneak into the room while Phoenix was calling the police, he picked up a bottle of grape juice that Phoenix was drinking from. Shadi turned around to see what had moved the bookshelf and was cracked on the head, killing him instantly. Smith's blood dropped onto a stray Ace of Spades, which Kristoph pocketed to hide his crime. To cover up the fact that he had stolen a card, he swapped in a new one, although didn't know that the cards had differently-colored backs—he swapped in a card with a blue back instead of a red one. He also replaced the ace with a king, inadvertently destroying direct evidence that Shadi had cheated. Finally, he replaced the bottle that he had hit Shadi with, the bottle containing the crumpled up Five of Hearts, with a different bottle under the piano bench.

When Phoenix returned to the Hydeout, Shadi Smith was dead, sitting at the table with a nasty cut on his forehead. Discovering Shadi's body and knowing that he'd be arrested for murder, Phoenix called the only person he could think of. Kristoph misspoke on the phone, however, and Phoenix used his deduction skills to figure out what had actually happened. He used his daughter to forge a bloody Ace of Spades: which she subsequently gave to Apollo Justice, Phoenix's lawyer, who used it to force Kristoph to reveal his crime to the court. The only person who could say for a fact it was forged would be the killer himself, after all.

THOUGHTS

Turnabout Trump holds a very special place in my heart. It is the first Ace Attorney case I've ever played: yeah, I started with AJ alllllll the way back in, like, 2012. I was in Elementary School.

I love, love, love 4-1. It's my favorite opening case in the series and the perfect example of an opening case being simple enough to follow while remaining challenging and impactful enough to keep veterans excited. It is a complex opening case, but it manages to ride the line between having a mentor to guide you in the right direction and leaving the player to their own devices very well. There's a lot of internal logic that the player needs to pick up on, like why Phoenix's fingerprints are inverted on the bottles and the math for the chips, but Phoenix also guides you through the more complicated sections after Kristoph is accused in the case's climax. Speaking of Kristoph, I'll have more to say about him later but for right now I just want to say he's an awesome killer. Throughout this case he's subtly (and at times not-so-subtly) belittling and manipulating Apollo, saying that he "almost came up with [the math] on his own" while also showering Apollo with praise during the early parts of the case where you're taking down Olga. It makes replays of this case, especially after beating AJ:AA, feel a lot grimier when he's on screen: he's a manipulator and an abuser from the get-go, and I love how the localization team handled it.

Every character in this case is really, really well-done. I wish that Winston was used more, but Phoenix in particular is a masterclass in Ace Attorney character writing and the way the mystery unfolds is super cool even if it's not very interactive. A common criticism of this case is that most of it is just Phoenix doing the legwork and Apollo just being there next to him, and while this isn't entirely true as Apollo comes to many of his own conclusions from the get-go (I like how he actually demonstrates how Phoenix picked up his bottles to the Judge) it's an understandable criticism given how much the case focuses around Phoenix. Speaking of character writing, I love how Phoenix distances himself from Kristoph—going from "Kristoph" to "Mr. Kristoph Gavin" to just "Kristoph Gavin"—while Apollo basically begs Kristoph to answer all of Phoenix's questions for him during the first chunk of his time on the stand.

One criticism I have for 4-1 is that some of its logic doesn't flow particularly well: it's great for the majority of the case, but one that stands out to me is the leap from Olga rubbing her neck to her being hit by the bottle. It's a leap in logic that the player doesn't really do anything with. Apollo just kind of... makes the connection. That's really all I have to criticize it for. 4-1 is just a fantastic case and a brilliant opener. While its core mystery might be a little boring and some of its leaps may be a bit too leapy (if that makes any sense), it all combined into a well-planned, well-written, and well-executed case with super cool and consistent deductive reasoning.

Next time we'll be covering 4-2, Turnabout Corner. See you then!

Overall Rating: 9/10

FAVORITE LINES

"Long time no see, Mr. Wright." - His Honor, meeting Phoenix again

(B-But what about my Chords of Steel?) - Apollo Justice, after being admonished for shouting

"Well, this case certainly has taken a turn... for the interesting!" - Kristoph Gavin, after Olga reveals the cheat

"Mr. Payne, you of all people should know... Mr. Wright has a talent... for the ridiculous!" - His Honor, after Phoenix objects for the first time

"A seven-year legend, destroyed by one little card… That was the plan!" - Olga Orly, about her plan to cheat with Shadi Smith

"What tangled webs we weave when we practice to deceive. So tangled, we catch ourselves in the process." - Phoenix Wright, suspecting Kristoph

CASE RANKINGS