Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All is the second game in Capcom's cult-hit Nintendo DS series Phoenix Wright. Originally an extremely popular Japanese series, the game's unique themes, twisting storylines and top-notch presentation led to success in America, as well.

The player controls defense attorney Phoenix Wright throughout each of the four cases featured in the game. Each case is totally different, though many have recurring characters and they are ordered chronologically. The game features classic point-and-click adventure play that is divided into two parts for every day of each case, an investigation period and a courtroom period. Most cases take place over multiple days. The storylines of each case will features many twists and turns, and often - especially when in the courtroom - things get very exciting.

Educational strengths of Justice for All include developer creativity, problem solving and, to some degree, simulation. Players must gather information and evidence, figure out what it means and how it all fits together, and then prove it to a group of people that think otherwise. Most of the problems are presented tightly and make sense, though that's not to say that they are easy to figure out. The concept of the game - that is, an interactive courtroom drama - is entirely original. And while the game is often over-the-top and is often a little loose on actual legal practice, most of the concepts of the game are based on concepts that come from the real-life legal world, making the Phoenix Wright series the best law simulation game available and an extremely enjoyable and educationally beneficial experience.

Justice for All is not based on classroom facts, but they are certainly present. Most of the evidence found in the game is evidence that could be used in reality, and the game is based on real-life legal rules. The game is extremely text-driven, and much of the text is of a higher level than standard video game fare.

By the Player:

Justice for All is a linear game, and while the player always has a number of options for things to respond with in court and places and people to talk to during investigations, there is always one "right" answer or path.

By the Developer:

The concept of Justice for All - putting the players in control of a rookie defense attorney and putting them in charge of seemingly hopeless defendants is not something that is done in most games today. The presentation is also in a style all its own; the Phoenix Wright series make a courtroom game into an action title. Being in court is always exciting. Players scroll through a witness' testimony looking for some sort of lie or contradiction, and when they find one there's a nice big Objection button on the bottom screen. Upon pressing it the music drops out, Phoenix raises his finger and the game yells "Objection!" as the camera shoots over to the shocked witness. Often the prosecutor will raise his own objection to that, and as the argument rages on the camera shoots back and forth, objections fly, and even though the game is almost all text, it manages to be immersive and exciting. An impressive and exciting soundtrack adds to the experience. Storylines and characters are also extremely creative, the plot of each case being original, over-the-top and absolutely filled with twists and turns and memorable, quirky, well-written characters. The psyche-lock system, which has the players being able to see the mental blocks people use to hide secrets, is a creative addition to the original game that adds depth and challenge to the game.

Justice for All does not feature business skills.

Justice for All is based heavily on interacting with human characters, but players are never able to really affect the outcome of the game based on their actions, other than getting a game over for making too many mistakes (like accusing a witness of lying when they really aren't).

Problem solving in Justice for All is based on the plot of each case in the game. Players need to take into account the events and the information they've gathered when searching for clues and new witnesses. Players have access to descriptions of each piece of evidence and each person involved, and during investigation players can present these people and items to others to ask about them or even make accusations. When the player collects enough evidence they are brought to the courtroom phase, where they must read through testimonies and point out contradictions by presenting the right pieces of evidence to the right pieces of testimony. These puzzles are the meat of the game, and they remain challenging, original and exciting throughout it.

While Justice for All is not a simulation game in the strictest sense, at its heart it is trying to simulate being a lawyer. The game doesn't go into very complicated legal procedures, but it does use the basics, and most of the processes used are based on real-life legal practices. The storylines can get a little on the absurd side, but it keeps it fun, and they never go too far past being believable.

While the game is not a million-seller, it received generally favorable reviews on its release, usually scoring around 75% or higher.

Justice for All is highly praised for the level of humor in its dialogue.

Justice for All has no options except one: the player my play totally using the DS stylus or play in a more traditional directional pad + face buttons style.

Tips

Justice for All received a T from the ESRB with descriptors for Blood, Mild Violence and Suggestive Themes.