In Japan, the original Phoenix Wright trilogy was a Game Boy Advance series; as such, when it was ported to the Nintendo DS for American release, the DS enhancements were lacking, to say the least. This entry, however, was developed from the ground up for the Nintendo DS, and it makes a world of difference. The DS is used to great advantage in this game, spicing up traditionally boring parts of the game, and making for a generally more fun experience. Were it not for the comparatively lacking storyline, this game would surpass all the others in the series so far.

Speaking of the story, things are a bit different this time around. Most notably, the protagonist of the series has changed, from Phoenix Wright to Apollo Justice; in fact, very few characters from the original trilogy will be seen in Apollo Justice, which features a nearly all-new cast. While I’m sure plenty of people will miss their favorite characters, the new crew is not lacking in entertainment value; Apollo makes for just as competent an attorney as Phoenix, Trucy is an entertaining sidekick just as Maya was, and I may even prefer Ema Skye to Dick Gumshoe as far as detectives go. Phoenix himself is no longer an attorney, but instead plays the role of Captain Awesome. There is no lack of entertaining characters in this game, so never fear.