All rise! The court is now in session for the trial (that's "review" for those of you who haven't court on yet) of Phoenix Wright - Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations. We have specially applied for the extradition of Mr Wright's third Game Boy Advance port from Japan, on charges of repetition to the point of frustration. We shall hear the case for the prosecution and defence before I consider my verdict, but first, a little background for those in the public galley who imagine I have taken leave of my senses.

Phoenix Wright is, for want of a better genre to force it into, a lawyer 'em up! In terms of gameplay its closest cousin would be the adventure game, which has recently enjoyed something of a mini-resurgence after being revived, Lazarus-like, from the dead. You guide Phoenix through four or five cases (depending on which game in the series you're playing), collecting evidence and then working out when best to produce it to blow holes in the prosecution's arguments in defence of your client. But if you're sitting there thinking that it's the equivalent of a tense courtroom drama then you're well off the mark, as Phoenix Wright is firmly grounded in the realm of fantasy. Not only do you frequently step beyond your brief of defence lawyer to prosecute the real killer, but your assistant is a spirit medium who can channel your dead mentor! Grisham, it ain't.

Now, if you've never played it before, I can imagine that it sounds pretty dreadful. I remember looking sceptically at the impressive reviews the game attracted and wondering if I was getting too old for this sort of thing (the jury's still out on that one, though thankfully it's another matter). But it turns out that the first game was brilliant! Brilliantly scripted, truly gripping with some fantastic twists and turns, and very, very funny - in many ways it was more of a book than a game, especially since vast sections of the gameplay consist of reading reams of text and tapping the arrow for the next section of dialogue. If you haven't played it then you really must. You won't regret it - the midi soundtrack, which follows the tone of the story perfectly at all times - is worth the price of admission alone.

But the first game isn't what's on trial here. Indeed, it is the very brilliance of the original that causes the biggest gripe with the series: there's next to no innovation. The sequel, Justice For All, was essentially an add-on pack with four new cases. Sure, they were brilliant (even if at times they required an even bigger sense of the ridiculous than usual), but the formula was feeling a little tired by the third case, only rescued by an absolutely sensational final episode that remains my favourite to this day. So, can the third game make an impression on this slightly jaded reviewed? Let's hear the case for the prosecution.

The Prosecution

Without wanting to give too much away to diehard Phoenix Wright fans wanting to avoid spoilers, the game is business as usual. At times this is endearing (I sincerely hope I'm not the only one who feels happily nostalgic when Maya's midi-style theme tune joyfully sounds from the speakers), but all too often this brings its own set of frustrations - the more tedious characters (Larry Butz and Franciska von Karma, I'm looking at you) rear their ugly heads too often for comfort, the puzzles are wilfully obscure at times and the game punishes you for being one step ahead of its own logic. Phoenix haters (I'm told they exist) insist on lamenting the way the game is, in fact, an interactive storybook with very little human interaction - if you present the (perfectly logical) evidence at the wrong time then the game refuses to recognise its significance. This comes into play to the point of tedious frustration in the fourth case, which saw me needing to reset my DS several times after repeatedly losing the case by presenting evidence that would later be damning in exactly the same way I'd anticipated.

So, you see your honour, it's not that Phoenix is a bad game - far from it - it's just that after three games the charm has gone.

4/10

HOLD IT!

The Defence:

No, I cannot accept this damning verdict. While it's true that I felt like I was going through the motions for much of it, it's still the most intriguing and charming game series I've played in some time. It's no coincidence that this was the game that brought my DS out of its premature retirement. The music is more atmospheric and catchy than any midi songs have any right to be, while the stylishly drawn anime characters have unique personalities and foibles, and the story has hilarious moments that have made me laugh out loud (on the tube, no less). Most importantly though, it ends the series in the best possible way. Trials and Tribulations begins with a flashback (allowing you to control two other lawyers in the game) and ends with a gripping, complex and ingenious case that wraps together storylines that include elements from all three titles. It may be the same old formula, but in terms of completing one of my favourite video gaming trilogies of all time, it feels exactly right. And with five cases here (admittedly two of those are mini-cases), it's not a short game by any means, even if it lacks the replay value of other DS titles.

The Verdict: N O T G U I L T Y

In summing up, the court accepts Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations as the brilliant conclusion that the trilogy needed. It doesn't innovate especially (although the whole concept of the series is very innovative), but it does tie together the plots from the first three games in a gripping, enjoyable and funny adventure. This court also wishes to stress that those anxiously awaiting a European release date need not concern themselves, as the Japanese version has an English option (text and sound) that feels as well scripted as the original (there are references to Kelis' Milkshake and Bob Marley, astoundingly). It's true that the third Phoenix Wright game is just more of the same, but the first two are two of the court's favourite DS games so far. And given that they are Game Boy Advance ports (with the exception of the fifth case of the first game, which had a brand new finale perhaps raising expectations) you can't expect change just yet. The court finds Mr Wright N O T G U I L T Y and looks forward to the upcoming DS original courtroom drama from Capcom.

8/10

Reviewed by Alan Martin for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).