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Looking back on it, Phoenix Wright was basically my first visual novel. While I have been told by some VN purists that this is more of an 'adventure game' because I can actually play it, it's semantics. Phoenix Wright opened my eyes to world where I could be a passenger for a story and not the driver of it.
After playing through all the illegally downloaded games of Phoenix Wright I could get back hands on, I was eventually drawn to 999 and Danganronpa, other visual novels that have attained notability in the West. I love them all, for very different reasons. Each of them have a very specific successful difference. Dangaronpa lures you in with extremely well-developed characters, forces you to make a connection with them, before ripping them away in heart-breaking cases. The Zero Escape series is batshit crazy, but tells a large, complex, multi-faceted story which demands attentiveness and requires multiple full game playthroughs. Ace Attorney has it's 'moments'. The ground shattering 'oh fuck'. The realization 'oh, SHIT". The triumphant 'you're fucked'.
Today I want to talk about one moment. One moment that will always stick with me as possibly the greatest Ace Attorney moment of all time.
So, before I can tell you about my favourite moment, we have to talk about one of my favourite cases...
"It's been two months since Maya left the office... Two months without a single trial. I've had offers... But none I took. That is... until the day that girl showed up."
-Phoenix Wright
Case 1-5 takes place two months after 1-4, Phoenix having not taking any cases in the time since (Can't blame the man, 1-4 was brutal).
He is then beset upon by a young girl looking for his deceased mentor to defend her sister in court.
What happens next is one of the best cases in PW history. It's just amazing. The story, themes, characters (both new and introduced), and overall mystery is top notch.
Case 1-5 is a bit divisive among fans of the series. For all it's ups, there are completely fair things you can criticize it for like the pacing on Day 2. I can still hear the Blue Badger theme playing, endlessly... and while the case deserves the full 3 day treatment, I can see why it's barely ever used again.
Mastermind6425, creator of the PW In A Nutshell series, made the joke that there was 'no 5th case', drawing attention to the fact that the case not existing in the original games, and also potentially disregarding the case as a whole.
I'm sorry, but this is the case that introduced us to Ema Skye.
I will hear no dissent from the gallery.
1-5 is definitely in the top 10 cases for me, and contains my absolute favourite moment. Even the ludicrous shit that happens in The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles 2 (as amazing that is), this still tops it for me...
So, before I can tell you about my favourite moment, we have to talk about one of my favourite characters...
"There are only three people I look out for: Me, Myself and I."
-Damon Gant
This absolute chad. His introduction is all you need to know about him.
The first time you see him, he's just on the stand staring into your damn soul. Blinking slowly, deliberately. You sit up and take notice. He's barely said a sentence, and already he's established his presence. He's even got this weird high class theme music. Every other character would already be verbally asserting themselves, but he remains silent. Stoic. Ema's little chime in of 'the temperature raising 5.7 degrees when he arrived' just adds to the weird sense of 'strangeness' he brings. The Judge says 'ah, it's you', piquing interest. The Judge knows him?
The silence, the staring continues and then is suddenly broken, revealing some kind of old-ish geezer who likes swimming and the 'goofy person' theme plays? What the hell... after a bit of back and forth where he gives everyone these cute nicknames, the judge reveals he's the... Chief of Police?!
Gant reveals the scarf and a knife in it and Edgeworth accuses Gant's investigators of being lax. Gant kindly asks Edgeworth to wait a minute but of course he's not playing ball so Gant gets... threatening.
"I'm telling you to wait!... Or didn't you hear me?"
"...!"
"Have a look at this document, where it says "person in charge of investigation"... There's no mistaking that signature, is there... Miles Edgeworth?"
"Th-that's not fair! On the day of the crime, I-I had..."
"Your head in the clouds because you got that award! I know how you feel... But you're the person in charge. I'll expect a written apology."
"What? Are you serious!?"
"Don't be too upset, we'll find a way to clean up this mess... that you made."
In his first 5 minutes of screen time, Gant lambastes Edgeworth so brutally, it makes Manfred von Karma seem tame.
Gant's character is hard to pin down, unlike most other one-shot Ace Attorney characters who you'll figure out most everything about within a few minutes. He's both a lovable goof, a tough leader, a deceptive manipulator, a ruthless killer who would pin his crimes on a child, a vigilante upholding his sense of justice, and more.
Gant represents a shift in direction. Corruption at the highest level.
Phoenix Wright would cover this theme in spades later on, but this is the genesis. There's always been whispers of corruption in earlier cases, but this case throws the curtain wide and unleashes hell.
I won't say more here; this isn't an essay on his character, but he's one of the reasons why 1-5 is so amazing.
Now we've got one of the best characters in one of the best cases out of the way... let's skip ahead to my favourite moment in all of Ace Attorney.
"So it's come to this. Chief Gant... what do I think of him? Perhaps it's best I don't divulge my feelings... yet."
-Phoenix Wright
Day 3 Trial. Dawn of the Final Day.
By this point you already have a good idea that Chief Gant is up to no good, hiding and forging evidence, coercing Lana, scapegoating Edgeworth and potential involvement in Detective Goodman's murder.
Chief Gant is first on the stand and says that Lana has something to say to the court. Lana instantly confesses to the murder of Detective Goodman, much to Phoenix's protest. Edgeworth saves us for now and Chief Gant fires back, basically telling Edgeworth to stay quiet. Edgeworth deals an absolute banger of a line.
"I don't think I care for your tone... Chief Gant. Creating another fabrication to cover up your past mistakes... Sorry, but I'm not longer the naive little "boy" you would have me be."
Edgeworth calls Ema to the stand, beginning investigation of the SL-9 incident and Gant leaves the stand with this foreboding line.
"Edgeworth, you'll live to regret this."
Fast forward a few hours. By this point, you have drawn a lot of information out about the SL-9 Incident. How it was Neil Marshall with the knife, how Ema intervened, how Marshall was killed, the dying message left, Gant being accused and then going 'no u' and walking out, the evidence law book and it's dark secret, Luna's testimony being interrupted by Gant and then getting 'no u'ed by Edgeworth... all leading to this moment.
"I'd better think this through carefully. I can't afford to make the wrong decision."
Phoenix Wright, moments before the most important choice in the game.
Gant alludes to a piece of evidence that proves who killed Prosecutor Marshall. The leather with Ema's fingerprints that conclusively proves her guilt. Then you're given a choice. One you've been given many times in other cases. One that was always simple, and now isn't.
"Show evidence."
"Cannot show evidence."
Presenting evidence now instantly leads to a bad ending, not a common thing in AA games any more. You might not understand just yet, but not presenting evidence is the way forward.
Gant reacts furiously. Of course he does. He knows what's on the evidence. He knows YOU looked at it. Phoenix smiles and seems to play dumb. Gant deduces that you won't show it because you know the truth. He proceeds to relay his versions of events, admitting to being the first on the scene and reveals he hid the two pieces of evidence for "insurance". Phoenix then speaks up:
"So you admit to it then, Chief Gant? That you were hiding the cloth you cut off the victim's vest in your safe?"
"Yes, I admit it. I didn't want to have to do that, being Chief and all, but it's a lot better than being portrayed as a murderer!"
You are given the same option after Phoenix thinks that the 'moment of truth' has arrived.
"Show evidence."
"Cannot show evidence."
This time, you present the evidence. Edgeworth concludes it's real and wants to get it sent for analysis but Gant mentions that Phoenix already knows.
And then we get a strange line from Wright:
'It should be okay now. Everything is proceeding as predicted.'
Wright has a plan. And we're about to see the extent of his genius.
We tell everyone that Ema's fingerprints are on the leather. Gant laughs as you tried to pin the blame on him, Ema's heartbroken, and Lana calls you a monster for hiding it.
"Ms. Skye. It's not over yet..."
Gant laughs and says the trial is over and your career as well. He accuses you of hiding conclusive evidence and smarmily mentions that he's looking for forward to pressing charges after Lana is convicted. All throughout this, Phoenix has been quiet. Just like Gant's entrance, all he did was say nothing but stare. Gant wants to know how Phoenix feels, turning a poor little girl into a murderer.
"Before I do that... there's just one little thing to I have to clear up."
"Oh? And what's that?"
"Who really killed Prosecutor Neil Marshall. Chief Gant, you are absolutely right. This piece of cloth proves who the real murderer is."
Phoenix mentions the leather cloth contains a critical contradiction. And now it hits you. The cloth you have is completely clean, whereas the photo of the crime scene has the prosecutor's chest covered in blood. Therefore, Ema didn't kill Marshall. With the Cornered theme sounding more triumphant than ever, Phoenix then probes deeper, saying that because Gant admitted to arriving to the scene first and cutting the vest, he's the only one who could have committed Marshall's murder.
"Ironic, isn't it? Through the very act of creating "insurance", you proved you were the actual murderer!"
A fade to black is cut off by a very stressed looking Gant as he objects, calling the leather illegal evidence as Phoenix didn't present it earlier. Gant looks very pleased that he got out of it. Phoenix however, casually remarks:
"It seems... at least... The time for me to reveal my plan has finally arrived."
You are given one last choice. Did you purposely conceal evidence?
"I did."
"I did not."
Of course we didn't. As Phoenix explains:
"It's not that I "didn't" present evidence then... it's that I "couldn't. There are certain procedures involved when presenting evidence."
Gant realizes what's happening and tries to appeal to the Judge to ignore Phoenix. Edgeworth says that 'this is the last issue to be resolved, is the evidence illegal?' Finally, you present the Evidence Law book and fire Chekov's Gun.
1) No evidence shall be shown without the approval of the Police Department.
2) Unregistered evidence presented must be relevant to the case on trial.
Phoenix only had a cloth with Ema's hand on it. Nothing more, nothing less. He got it himself from Gant's safe, without approval. Gant fires back, saying that the picture was evidence enough, but Phoenix reminds him when the photo was shown. The evidence was only approved and given meaning by Gant himself.
Finally it happens. Gant breaks.
He claps. And he laughs. Then he claps faster. And faster. His laughter reaching the heavens. On emulator, this moment typically breaks the game for a bit as it cannot keep up with his clapping.
He admits to the murder of Goodman to hide his crimes and stop SL-9 from being re-opened. Everything falls into place.
Gant talks to the Judge, mentioning that they'll have to cancel their lunch.
"Sorry, old friend!"
With a rather bittersweet moment, the Judge speaks up.
"I'm sorry too, Damon Gant. I knew you as you used to be, long ago. You were once a fine investigator, and an example to others on the force. I'm sorry to learn that you are no longer that person."
I love this moment. There will be other times Phoenix outsmarts the killer but none are more satisfying that this one.
Phoenix Wright has other amazing moments. The series is well known for them. Ask 10 different fans their favourite moments, and you'll get 10 different answers.
This is mine.
For all of the series' moments, I wouldn't feel the same way playing their games until over a decade later, when I played through The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve's final case.
For those who know, 'that' moment, is number 2.