Let's Play AA6: Case 5, Part I - TURNABOUT AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

[type_wild]

IS THAT APOLLO JUSTICE'S FOREHEAD I SPY ON THE SAVE SLOT

AND TRUCY



No, seriously, I was so sure we wouldn't see anything more of her - yet here she is, befriending criminals like you do because hey, Revolutiondad travelled half the world for a quick visit, like any wanted criminal would do. And walk around in the same clothes he used while hijacking national TV for making threats, sure, why not. I'm glad to see that Apollo and I are on the same page about the amount of BS this entire story amounts to. At least the radio silence about this in AA4 makes more sense than the fact that Apollo never as much as mentions the guy later introduced as his brother in all but blood.

And if it wasn't enough with the flirting back during the Gramarye trial, Revolutiondad is suggesting Trucy is prime bride material and of course she's instantly onboard. Oh Japan.

So... Athena has a car? Things are getting ever more professional at the Wright Anything Agency!

Fetchquest for Apollo! Of course there are naked baby pictures. And "Jove", because what else could it be. Also he really looks like Michael Jackson? I trust the Klapollo fanbase will do their duty re. this new information.

Oh hai Kurain village, this I was not expecting. And hi Ema! Even if this kinda shoots down the sightseeing theory. Apparently she and Apollo have something like a tradition of dusting his badge for prints.

Helix Fossil or gigant ammonite?

Apollo Justice, man of mystery: Keeps a journal and also weird things in his locked office drawer. Also he's the only one in the WAA who cleans, go figure.

Oh hai surprise!Witness, good yo see you!

Apollo-builds-the-fire amirite oh god ignore me, i couldn't help myself. we've already got a ton of hispanic!Apollo, let's get native!Apollo talking like a rez kid No but seriously, this DOES beg the question of just... what exactly Journalist Guy knew about this business, because this here ain't the story he told Phoenix back in AA4. But then again, we also know that that business was completely "the what now" in AA4 anyway.

Well, this is the right day to be making fun of useless politicians riding their family's tailcoats. [Note: I used the final case of this game to distract myself from US election day, because Apollo Justice is almost as important to me as the leader of the free world being someone who has heard the words "rule of law"]

Hi Pearls! And hi... Edgeworth. Who, like Phoenix, I think these games could do with a lot less of, because he's boring now that he's all grown up and emotionally balanced. Let's see what he brings about here, then. Also, this gigantically long investigation probably explains why case 2 and 4 are so short.

...I mean, we've officially entered tabletop RP territory here. Hi, flashback!Klavier. But Apollo, don't you think the death of your brother in all but blood might've been more relevant to mention than the fact that the prosecutor was a weabo? FFS, Capcom, I continue to be Not Impressed by how you handle Apollo's backstory. I guess they're just trying to keep the games available for new players. Also is this where we talk about how they blew 90% of their cutscene budget on a seven-minute prologue that isn't even in the bloody game? I mean, I quite like the dialogue-over-still-image thing they've got here, but I really wouldn't mind more full-fledged cutscenes again. I know I'm in the minority, but I really find the 3D models fugly compared to the 2D ones.

Goddamn box puzzle. Put my brother to the task, he gave up and looked it up online for me.

And predictably, Bitchface is just a bitch because he's ~sad inside~ and needs to be saved (eyeroll.gif) dear game, laying it on a bit too thick here. Particularly what with having to rely on other character explaining this to us. At least Edgeworth was funny.

I wonder how obvious the Phoenix<-->dragon thing is in Japanese. And how bad is it that a part of me kinda wanted Apollo to go under and be reunited with Clay? Clue this as a second time where I should be missing the cutscenes, but surprisingly don't. In the end, they always felt very wonky in DD - probably because the games are goofy and the cutscenes weren't, but both these places here are action scenes where the action is communicated through still shots and text. They should've been animated, but I really think I prefer them not to be. Weird.

Another clue for the spoilers I saw. Bullshit backstory territory works surprisingly well. Come on, Capcom, make me like it.

Oh Revolutiondad, one day we might know if your courtroom philosophy remains in one of the kids, but the lesseon about boys not crying sure as hell didn't stick with the other.

AND FINALLY, THE LONG AWAITED CANON ART OF APOLLO'S HAIR DOWN. Kinda. Argh, the 3D does not do Apollo's character design any favours. 90% of the characters are at least passable, but Apollo looks weird at best and alien in the worst cases, and he is so beautiful in this one glorious 2D shot. Another 3D victim is Klavier, who for some reason looks super creepy in 3D - there's something weird happening to his face when he's smiling in the courtroom angle, and the reason we all love Klavier is of course that he's a happy, smiling sort and not a smirking asshole. Wai, Trucy and Surprise!Witness, both my darlings! And what's this, Trucy and Daddy having a conversation? The WAA taking on something else than a murder accusation?

I thought the Apollo vs. Phoenix case would be super dumb and gimicky, but goddamn if it isn't one of the better ones yet. Even if it's completely absurd that Apollo should be so scared to go against someone he patently KNEW during AA4 and whose entire legal career is built on luck and BS. You punched him in the face and he deserved it!

Poor Edgeworth, Mini-trump stole his big selling point. This trial is so much better for Bitchface's absence, but I'm confused about geography, honestly. Why are they arguing about the thingie being "made in Japan" if it was made in Kurain village, since Kurain village is patently in the US? Unless I'm forgetting some point in the original trilogy about them emigrating en masse a la Nine-tales vale. And of course it was murder because since when did anyone ever die from anything but murder or the occasional suicide-made-to-look-like-murder in this franchise. Between the bracelet and the magatama it should be a piece of cake to figure this one out, but then it'll probably be Bitchface back there and urgh.

But noooo, because criminal investigation within Japanifornia just works that way.

Damn, I love Sarge. And how much these games can communicate with a blank screen, sound effects, and sparse dialogue. Let's someone write something about the visual-verbal narrative shift here, because I love it. I also love Sarge's bonding with Apollo, even though, yeah, he's got 200% more in common with Athena thatawise.

Spoilers being foreshadowed?

Headcanon: Apollo is a smoker, that's why he's in such a godawful shape for someone who bikes. He's got a fancy lighter and he "takes cigarettes for granted"! Good God the 3D cutscenes are fugly, get them back to anime style plz

Lol Apollo thinking he's won when I will be greatly surprised if the next two minutes doesn't feature Ema coming in to arrest Surprise!Witness for the misdeed. Or Revolutiondad for being a criminal, whichever.

...ooooor a rerun of Shelley de Killer or something, we already had the drone in place. See, Apollo? He's way easier to take down than your average prosecutor. Bless the writers for keeping his skill level at what it actually is.

I love this music.

Oh hey, Revolutiondad is back to dispense life wisdom. So how does the dragon motto connect to he-whose-japanese-name-means-just-that? Probably there's meant to be some connection between Revolutiondad and Phoenix.

Come onnn call in Pearl to do the channeling, create a gigantic international incident between Narnia and Kurain village. Think of all the Rayfa rage!

Well, that's one way to get rid of annoying politicians, I guess. And this case was something as rare as something COMPLETELY NEW in this franchise. I think there might've been something akin to this in Trials and Tribulations, but it's been long enough since for me to have forgotten about it completely, and it still didn't involve the main characters going up against each other in court. The investigation bit was point-and-click adventure bits, the trial was comparatively short - this is a completely new storytelling angle they're going at, and goddamn did it work well.

Though I can't tell whether they're being super lazy about the writing, or if Maya's just become a running joke. Anyway, seems like we're off to Narnia and court revolution! Great events are foreshadowed by Apollo's retrospective narration. Please remember to bring Trucy.

(of course they won't)