When first released, the Nintendo DS was considered by many to play second fiddle to the Playstation Portable. The PSP offered amazing graphics, the ability to listen to music,
watch movies, and view pictures portably. The DS on the other hand, had two screens, a microphone feature, and a handful of questionable games. To finish this paragraph quickly, the Nintendo DS features were considered a gimmick and didn't seem enhance gaming at all.

Things have changed.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is a brand new, innovative game by Capcom. It uses the touch screen features as well as the microphone feature. This is a type of game that I have never played before. My first impressions were, "a lawyer simulation? What is this?" Boy was I wrong.

When I finally found a copy of Phoenix Wright and decided to try it out, I went home and played it immediately. After the first case I was completely hooked. You are a rookie lawyer named Phoenix Wright, accompanied by your assistant/teacher Mia Fey. Phoenix is a funny and confident man. As you progress through the game, each case increases in length. In total, there are five cases. This may not seem like a lot, but the cases eat up hours when you have to get through the courtroom, as well as travel and uncover evidence.

The first thing I liked about Phoenix Wright is how the game hides clues and contradictions very cleverly when you have to question a witness. When you figure out the contradiction, you feel rewarded for doing so. This to me makes you want to continue to play the game.

To sum up the Gameplay aspect as quick as possible, finishing the five cases will take about 20 hours max. I should however mention that this game does not contain much replay value when you complete the game. It doesn't make you want to play the game over, since you know what the contradictions are, and you have already figured the mysteries out. However, while the game lasts, it's definitely worth the money.

This game is actually a Gameboy Advance game that was released ONLY in Japan that was ported to the DS with added DS features. The reason I say this is because the game's graphics are GBA quality cut and paste style graphics. The graphics are not the reason to play this game, but if we have to judge them, they are suited well for this type of game.

I liked the sound in this game. It has unbelievably catchy music when you find a contradiction or prove somebody wrong. Even when you?re traveling for evidence it has very nice music.

When this game was first released, it's sales didn't do very well. This is probably the case of the lack of hype or advertising for this game. You should also consider that like many, people wouldn't risk buying this game at first, because well, it's a Lawyer game. Now that it's getting it's name back up, more copies are being shipped and a sequel is on it's way. I say this because when it WAS discontinued, people were buying Phoenix Wright off of Ebay on average for about 70 bucks USD before shipping. This leads me to my next point where the value of this game comes in. Phoenix Wright is a game everybody who has a DS should own. Even though there is little to no replay value, you should own this game just to play it through once. Maybe a couple years down the road you will forget the experience and play through it again. It really is a great game.

Now, to finalize the DS features. The touch screen is utilized in different ways. Some of the touch screen features include getting the next line of text to appear, pointing out something on blueprints/floor plans, as well as uncovering fingerprints to solve the final case. I think it utilizes the touch screen decently for a game that is heavily text based. The microphone on the DS is also used nicely. If you say "Objection" into the microphone, Phoenix Wright object the current witness statement and you can then present your evidence that contradicts that the witness just said. You may sound like a dork screaming OBJECTION into your DS in public, but if you are scared, you can simple touch the Objection button on your touch screen and avoid it. The microphone is also used in the last case when you are taking fingerprints. You sprinkle some powder with your DS touch screen and you blow into the microphone to uncover the fingerprint. It's very clever.

To sum things up, this is the most innovative game I have EVER played on ANY console. It shows that the gaming industry still has unique ideas and keeps gamers happy. I can put aside the lack of replay value since playing through the game once is already worth more then the price of admission.

The last words, I will be waiting in line when Phoenix Wright: Justice For All is released sometime in the first quarter of 2007.

Graphics: 8/10

Cut and paste, anime style graphics. This is originally a Gameboy Advance game as I previously mentioned, but nonetheless, the graphics are fine for it's type of game.

Gameplay: 8/10

Although there is little to no replay value, playing through this game once is worth the price of admission alone. The game is roughly 20 hours, which is plenty of gameplay to keep you busy.

Sound: 7/10

The sound is very catchy and suited very well for this type of game. When you solve a contradiction, you feel rewarded when it plays an upbeat sound. There is no voice acting, but that is a little too much to ask for a handheld game which is heavily text based.

Overall: 8/10

Not an average, but overall. This game was severely underrated when first released. It is one of the most innovative games I have ever played. More copies are being shipped and the sequel is on the horizon in the first quarter of 2007.

This is definitely a title to check out for your Nintendo DS. If you are looking for a new and innovative game for your Nintendo DS, then this is your answer.