Four Reasons Why Phoenix Wright Is My Hero

Of all games to begin my newfound journey with my Nintendo DS Lite with, I almost went with the newest puzzle game on the market, Honeycomb Beat for the sole reason that $14.99 for a new, low-priced game was looking slightly appealing for easygoing enjoyment. And then I saw a used version of the first installment of Phoenix Wright for $19.99. I was sold. To get a better idea of why I chose Phoenix Wright over Honeycomb Beat without a second thought, read about Phoenix Wright knocking at my door. Well, I finally answered, and I haven’t been disappointed with his witty puns and humorous company. For all you hardcore gamers out there, bear with me for being sorely late on jumping on the bandwagon.

I used to be a skeptic about all the hype behind Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, but after witnessing (pun intended) it for myself, it really is what all the rants and raves says it is. As a hardcore gamer turned extremely casual, I am impressed with Phoenix Wright for four unbiased reasons.

• Increases deduction skills:

I’m generally a trusting person who can easily be swindled by inconsistent stories. If I’m not being swindled, then I am unable to properly deduce the reasoning handed to me, causing me to feel quite inept. Might I add that I’m horrible at debating without enough knowledge in the topic, which is oftentimes the case. Phoenix Wright hits you with testimony after testimony with the purpose of finding inconsistencies in information revealed. You’re bound to find yourself talking outloud to figure out which evidence will successfully stick it to ‘em. The game essentially trains you to be a sharper minded individual when it comes to finding out lies from truth. This is a skill everyone should have and that I need more of.

• Makes you feel accomplished:

Are you feeling emo? Is no one is around who can make you feel good about yourself? Play Phoenix Wright. Aside from the game being designed to have a positive end, simply solving a difficult case after using all the evidence and facts at your disposal is enough to make anyone feel appreciated for something they did that was worthwhile for the day. With some cases taking around an hour or so to crack, you know that the detective work you’re doing and using your wits against courtroom opposition is going to ultimately pay off.

• Makes you feel/look badass:

The feeling of knowing exactly how to slam a witness with an “OBJECTION!” before they even finish their testimony is a thrill I haven’t felt for a long time in gaming. What’s more, making Edgeworth squirm after slamming your hands on the desk while countering his counterargument is like when your teacher’s esoteric logic shrivels up in the face of a wiser student’s concrete logic in front of the entire class. Something along the lines of “Hah! What now biatch?!” might come to mind in both cases. Besides, who doesn’t want to feel or look badass? Someone who thinks playing a game about being a lawyer isn’t badass.

• Emotionally engrossing:

Your mentor, who is actually very attractive and knowledgeable, dies within the first hour of gameplay. I immediately felt the same loss that Phoenix experienced. That, in itself, says a ton about the story and the characters. You aren’t just playing the game, you are making critical decisions that will affect the outcome of the cases you take. Phoenix Wright takes the generic “play to win” aspect that makes games games, and creatively employs that same attitude and meaning into solving your cases as the protagonist. Pure gaming genius.

After letting my friend play one case and a half, he didn’t want to put it down for those very reasons. Obviously, I didn’t let him save his game either because I’m not done with mine. Can’t wait to finish this installment.