Somehow when I was told about a game in which an inexperienced defence lawyer plays the main character, I was hardly excited. However, When I got my hands on a new DS lite and a copy of Phoenix Wright, I was stunned beyond comprehension at it’s unique gameplay, captivating story and cast of to say the least, colourful characters. Capcom have indeed done it again. This game is without a doubt good. Any literate human being can enjoy it’s maze of questions to which it seems, there are no answers. So without Further ado, allow me to introduce to you one of the most stimulating games I have ever played.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attourney

As far as characters go, Capcom seem to have it down pat in every game they make. Phoenix Wright is no different. Despite the fact that this game is 2D and has as much animation as a manga, it manages to convey the vibrancy, enthusiasm and wealth of emotion in it’s characters just the same. Enter Phoenix Wright: a young lawyer fresh out of the law school oven. A relatively laid back guy who seems really unmotivated unless he’s in a trial defending the innocent. Extremely trustworth in all situations. A regular ‘Goku’ in terms of his ability to return from the brink of defeat and destroy the enemy. Throughout the game we see Phoenix mature and come into his own on several occasions. A real hero.

The ‘Ace Attourney’ himself, Phoenix Wright

Equally as important as Mr. Wright are his supporting characters, if they can be called that due to their major influence and involvement in the story.

Firstly there is Mia Fey. She own’s the ‘Fey & Co’ Law Offices. Phoenix works under her as her apprentice and possible successor. Headstrong and intelligent so definitely not to be messed with. Next is her younger sister Maya. Maya is weak but willing and soon (without revealing too much) becomes Wright’s’ sidekick in solving mysteries and defending those in need, though there is more to her than meets the eye. Last but by no means least, is Miles Edgeworth. A hard man with an obviously tainted history. He is well known in the legal world as being a remorseless prosecution lawyer who will do anything to reach his guilty verdict. Certainly an obstacle for Wright to overcome and a true enemy.

Mia, Maya & Edgeworth

This game plays somewhat like a point and click. Not being a fan of point and click games, I found myself astonished at how near perfection this game really is. The DS utilises it’s touch screen and microphone functions very nicely and you’ll find it hard to go back to pressing buttons after using your stylus to reign judgement on criminals. There are several different types of in game screen that you’ll be learning to navigate. Although this is simple in itself, the occasionally baffling storyline and ever present mystery, will make it much harder to complete the game than you might at first anticipate. At the same time the game isn’t from the same section of impossible that ‘Under the Knife’ lies, which makes the game more enjoyable than frustrating. The first screen you will encounter is the simple ‘touch to move text’ screen. As the title suggests, on this screen you simply use the touchscreen to move the text on. After that you will encounter many others such as the profiles screen (This mode allows you to view suspects profiles), the evidence screen (produce evidence at your will and examine murder weapons for further clues) and the various other courtroom screens. One of which allows you to use the DS microphone to shout things like ‘Hold it!’ and ‘Objection!’ when you notice contradictions in the witness statements.

Suspect’s profile screen

Scene examination screen

The game’s length has no real assessable time scale but most people say they’ve had it complete in between fifteen and twenty hours. Pretty impressive for a game of this genre. I without hesitation suggest that everyone buy this game as soon as possible because it’s sequel is due for release on the 16th of March. I’m certainly not going to miss out on the opportunity to see Phoenix and company bring criminals to their knees once again.

This game will make you realise that the stylus is indeed mightier than the sword.

The Nintendo DS Lite is the successor to the Nintendo DS, and it outshines the older model by far.

The Nintendo DS Lite’s main aspect is the fact that it’s Smaller. But many people have stuck with their Nintendo DS’ thinking that is the only new feature of the DS Lite. Well, if you are one of those people, your wrong.

The Nintendo DS Lite is also Lighter, hense the name ‘Lite’. It also has 4 levels of brightness on the screens, allowing you to play in sunlight without getting glare on your screen. But heres the ‘real’ upgrade for the NDS Lite. Both screens are now more colourful and sharper, improving graphics by smoothing edges and creases. The touch-screen is also more responsive, and another big improvement is the D-Pad and buttons. The D-Pad is now more ’sturdy’ and the buttons are the same too, the Start and Select buttons have also been moved down next to the bottom right corner of the touch screen.

All this ontop of the great, sleek new design of the Nintendo DS Lite which fits in with Nintendo’s upcoming console the Wii [Codename Revolution] I give it a 9/10. Good job Nintendo, still unbeatable in the Handheld Console Market.

[Pictures coming soon]

Goku, Luffy, Naruto, and Ichigo. If none of these names ring a bell, then Jump Superstars will probably fly right over your head. To put it simply, it’s a ‘Smash Bros.’ style game, where a large selection of Shonen Jump characters basically smash big chunks out of each other. Sounds good then. (Read more…)

Ok, we’re going to be straight with you from square one, Nintendogs, when it all comes down to it, is a Pet Simulator. It doesn’t contain a vast array of weaponry, fast vehicles, zombies or any real violence of any kind. If you’re one of those people who can’t play a game without any of the above factors, stop reading this, and move on to the next review. If, however, the lack of the above doesn’t really bother you then read on. Because, what Nintendogs DOES contain is a fun and somewhat addictive little ‘game’.

(Read more…)