Capcom's Ace Attorney saga is one of my favorite series of all time. When it first came out, I was so hooked on the game's offbeat humor that I found myself subsconsciously thinking "Objection!" and "Take That!" during applicable real life situations:Boss: John, I need that additional report in by 3PM tommorrow, OK?
Me: Um... I've got some other stuff to finish sir, but OK, I'll squeeze it in. (OBJECTION!)
Boss: Huh? May sinasabi ka?
Me: Wala sir. Guniguni mo lang yan. (TAKE THAT!)
That's both pretty funny, and pretty fucking sad.
Anyway, the reason I love Ace Attorney so much is that the characters are so endearing. Phoenix Wright (and to a lesser extent, Apollo Justice) comes across as a very "everyman" type of hero; he's generally competent, but often gets bamboozled by his rival, district attorney/chief prosecutor/lovable jerk Miles Edgeworth. By the end of each case though, using a combination of help from his many hilarious cohorts, tenacious courtroom theatrics, hard-boiled investigating and no small amount of pure, dumb luck, he wins out in the end and gets his client (who somehow always happens to be the victim of some kind of frame-up) acquitted.
In every installment, the humor is always goofy and hilarious (I've never played a Phoenix game in which I didn't laugh out loud and break into ear-to-ear grins many, many times), the writing is sharp and free of Engrish, and the plot is gripping enough to keep you playing into the wee hours of the morning. Sure, the gameplay is simple, but it's extremely fulfilling and entertaining, and in the end that's what counts for me. I'm not sure if gamers would be willing to pay full PSN price for such short games, so I propose that they sell the original 3 game series as a package.The reasons I think a release like this on the PSN would be a good idea are fourfold:
1) Phoenix Wright needs to be exposed to other audiences besides Nintendo fanboys. It's too good a series to just keep on one platform, and sharing this on PSN and Xbox Live would expand Ace Attorney's awareness.
2) I want to see high-resolution, redrawn sprites and a booming orchestral version of the soundtrack, unlike the WiiWare version which is just a straight port. They could use the already-released-on-CD live versions and use that as the BGM. If that's too much like charity for Capcom (can't give away ALL the good stuff at once, after all) they could just clean up the MIDI files from the DS game instead.3) They could package everything together in one download - all three Ace Attorney games (and Apollo Justice, if they're so inclined) for like USD 25 or 30 sounds about fair. You could make a considerable amount of money for a relatively small amount of effort, as the games have already been translated. Considering it would be download-only, and they wouldn't have to pay for cartridge or disc production costs, Capcom could make a pretty decent amount of dough.
4) A PSN release would serve as a marketing tool to promote the upcoming Miles Edgeworth game for the DS. Nuff said.5) They could make it worthwhile for long-time Ace Attorney fans to repurchase by packaging the three AA games with the fabled, never-before-translated-into-English Gyakuten Saiban Encyclopedia, which gives a comprehensive reference to most every character, case and major plot event in the Ace Attorney universe. I'm betting the Nintendo customer who buys Phoenix Wright is exactly the kind of hardcore gamer who also owns a PS3 or 360, so the market will be there. Quirky Japanese titles like Ace Attorney don't exactly appeal much to the mainstream.
And with that, I rest my case. TAKE THAT!
As a further closing argument, I leave you with the Phoenix Wright machinima version of "Boot To The Head" from a year ago, a truly classic comedy skit. (CLICK HERE for the YouTube/SaveVid link as this site doesnt want to upload MP4's.)And one for Jenny and the wimp. Hahahahahaha! :-)
C'mon, Capcom, make it happen. PLEASE MAKE THIS FUCKING GAME!
No comments:
Post a Comment