Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations is the third entry in Capcom's courtroom adventure series. Uncover the shocking past of Phoenix Wright and Mia Fey in this final courtroom showdown.

Game Boy Advance

Overview

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations (known as Gyakuten Saiaban 3 in Japan) is the third game in the Ace Attorney series. Players take on the role of Phoenix Wright, a defense attorney known for taking on seemingly impossible cases. While the game focuses on a few specific cases, the overarching story of the Phoenix Wright franchise spans the length of the series, involving obscure characters from large families and intricate webs of lies, plots, and murder. The nature of the series remains generally lighthearted, something that's reinforced by its playful, anime-inspired visual style, but the nature of the crimes committed can be cold and downright disturbing. While the game's legal acumen is highly dubious, its aim seems to be more about producing comedic or stereotypically dramatic courtroom moments. Ace Attorney 3 makes light use of the DS touch screen, allowing the player to examine crime scenes and inspect evidence and character profiles. The top screen is used more for storytelling purposes, displaying various dialogue and conversations between characters. During these sequences the lower screen becomes a selection menu, displaying a series of questions to ask witnesses and further your investigation in search of evidence to use in defense of your client in each chapter.

Characters

Phoenix Wright Original Japanese Name: Naruhodō Ryūichi (成歩堂龍一)	Phoenix Wright is back as he tackles the biggest mysteries he's yet faced! As a young man Phoenix was inspired by a strong defense attorney who would become his mentor, Mia Fey. Though she saved Phoenix from a murder sentence, the outcome would haunt him. In Trials and Tribulation, the ghosts of Phoenix's past will be exposed and exorcised in the court.
Godot Original Japanese Name: Godō (ゴドー)	Little is known about the mysterious masked prosecutor called simply Godot, other than that he loves coffee and seems to have it in for Phoenix for some sin of the past. What could his connection to Phoenix be that would create such a vendetta? You'd think a man with white hair and a glowing red mask would be hard to forget.
Mia Fey Original Japanese Name: Ayasato Chihiro (綾里千尋)	Though dead, Mia Fey yet has a part to play. One of her biggest mysteries, an unsolved case, will come back to haunt Phoenix, and the player will assume control of Mia in flashback sequences. How much does her past have to do with Phoenix's problems now? Not only would her first case cause the loss of a man she loved, but would put her entire family at risk.
Maya Fey Original Japanese Name: Ayasato Mayoi (綾里真宵)	Maya Fey once again fills the role of Phoenix's trusty sidekick, and her psychic powers prove invaluable once again.
Pearl Fey Original Japanese Name: Ayasato Harumi (綾里春美)	Mia and Maya's niece is once again present as her family ties involve her yet again.
Miles Edgeworth Original Japanese Name: Mitsurugi Reiji (御剣怜侍)	Miles Edgeworth in this game when Wright is incapable of fulfilling his duties as a defense attorney, and for the first time the player gets the chance of playing the no nonsense prosecutor from a side of the courtroom he never thought he would ever see. He seems to be much more friendly with the titular character than in the early days of the series.
Franziska Von Karma Original Japanese Name: Karuma Mei (狩魔冥)	Franziska Von Karma is back to the court, but this time she isn't eyeballing Phoenix or lining him up for her whip. The attorney she's taking a crack at this time is Miles Edgeworth, and she's bound to prove who's better. She seems to be more involved in investigation than anything else, gathering information for the prosecution while continuing to abuse Gumshoe.
Winston Payne Original Japanese Name: Auchi Takefumi (亜内武文)	The meek trial lawyer Winston Payne was once known as the "Rookie Killer." It was the fault a young rookie lawyer that caused his personality to recede along with his hair, but it wasn't Phoenix.
The Judge Original Japanese Name: Saibanchō (裁判長)	Here comes The Judge. He's back again to adjudicate between the prosecution and the defense, but he's mostly along for the ride, as usual. The latest prosecutor Godot seems more in control of this court, but it's still put to the judge to give the final verdict.
Detective Gumshoe Original Japanese Name: Itonokogiri Keisuke (糸鋸圭介)	Dick Gumshoe, now seemingly friendly with Phoenix, once again does his best not to have his salary reduced to nothing as he investigates the crimes.
Larry Butz Original Japanese Name: Yahari Masashi (矢張政志)	The ever annoying Larry Butz continues to be a bit of a pain in Phoenix's side, though as usual he proves helpful in the end. Larry is taking on a variety of jobs this time from security worker to artist. As always, a woman is involved, and Larry has to testify to the court.
Dahlia Hawthorne Original Japanese Name: Miyanagi Chinami (美柳ちなみ)	Dahlia is the subject of Mia Fey's first case, and an acquaintance of Phoenix. She seems like an innocent girl, but there is something more to this one...
Wendy Oldbag Original Japanese Name: Ōba Kaoru (大場カオル)	Just when you thought you were free, Wendy Oldbag is back to harass Phoenix Wright in his investigation, and she still has her eyes out of poor Miles Edgeworth.

Story

This game, as did the original Phoenix Wright and Phoenix Wright: Justice for All, centers around the exploits of Phoenix Wright and the Fey clan. This time, three of the five cases are linked with an overarching story that covers most of the questions left by the previous games. That includes a look back at Phoenix's younger days (he wasn't always so cool) and the case that led to the disappearance of Mia and Maya's mother, Misty Fey. Also, the plan alluded to by Pearl's mother Morgan in the previous game is set into motion, culminating in a great tragedy for all involved.

Soundtrack

The music of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations originally appeared in the form of a one disc compilation. However later printings include a second bonus disc. Gyakuten Saiban 3 OST was composed by Noriyuki Iwadare, Masakazu Sugimori, and Akemi Kimura. It was released on March 31st 2004 in Japan.

Track Listing

Disc One

(Gyakuten Saiban 3 OST)