I finished the first case, and of course, I got stuck (I think twice).

The first part that I couldn't figure out was during the trial, when Phoenix was talking about the time he disposed of the playing card into the empty grape juice bottle. I examined the grape juice bottle, saw it was empty, presented it during his testimony, he said he was sure he placed it there, then I couldn't advance anymore. I didn't know I had to show one of the crime photos during another part of his testimony to show that he couldn't have seen the victim's head since the hat was on. It wasn't clear to me.

The part that really drove me crazy is when Phoenix is pointing out what's wrong with the supposed layout of the crime scene and how one of the persons in the room couldn't have been in the position as had been laid out in the testimony up to that point. It finally turns out the victim is not in the correct position, but that wasn't clear to me at all! Couldn't the blood have dripped on a playing card that had fallen on the floor behind the victim if he had been facing toward the table as initially thought? Even after making my way through that part, I feel like it could have been handled better.

I'm in the second case (Turnabout Corner), and again I get stuck. The thing that drives me crazy about the Ace Attorney series in general is how you have to perform specific actions in a very specific order to continue the story. But the story and characters are always so amusing!

This is the only Ace Attorney game I haven't played, I never understood the need to get rid of Phoenix and switch protagonist.

Nothing really differentiates Apollo from Phoenix.

I thought that the game was pretty good. The final case is one of my favorite of the whole series; the investigation leading up to the final trial was amazing. The final trial, to me, was a let-down though. I was expecting two or three hours of revelations; I got about twenty minutes of average trial stuff.

The final case made up for a good, but not great entry in the series. Glad they are going back to Phoenix as the protagonist.

Case 2, day 2, investigation:

How could I have known to examine that trash can at the entrance of People Park yet again, just so I can find the slippers?? I forgot I had seen them before, I wish Apollo would have just taken them the first time.

Now I can make some progress.

Stickler's such a weirdo. Panty-snatcher!

I... lower my head in shame, for I admit to resorting to an online guide at times to continue playing this game.

I just don't get this game sometimes.

I'm now on the 3rd trial involving Lamiroir the singer and Machi the boy pianist.

-Um, why would I need to show Ema the revolver we just found? I thought I did that already... Here I am trying to figure out what I missed, going back to the other rooms and examining more and more. Well, I've figured out since then the game really encourages you to do this a lot: present the item you and the other person just discussed in order to uncover more details.

-I don't think I would have ever been able to 'perceive' Lamiroir's gulping by watching her throat when she talked at that specific portion of her testimony...

-How could I have thought that the blurry blood message where the victim died was due to the killer trying to wipe it out? Isn't it also possible the victim was simply weak and couldn't write clearly with his own blood as he was dying??

Back in the 2nd case involving the mobster boy Wocky Kitaki:
-What does presenting the squished bullet prove about Alita being at the office the day of the murder? That didn't make sense. Nothing in the game indicated the bullet hit the safe that day, how would I know that?

-And... during an important moment of that trial... How could I have known that's supposed to be a river on the left side of the diagram/ map?? I thought it was just a road, like the one where the hit-and-run occurred. And the game expected me to know this and point it out...

I didn't enjoy case 2 that much, but case 3 is a lot more interesting and engaging. Klavier Gavin is one rocking prosecutor, and some of his court animations are quite awesome.

@roykoopa64

Yeah, I remember the river thing threw me off as well. I thought it was a road too.

@roykoopa64
@Secret_Tunnel
I haven't played this since it launched, and I can still see that picture in my mind. I made the same mistake.

Nice to know I'm not the only one!

I didn't really like Apollo Justice alot. I remember not really liking his 'power' (which i've already forgotten already... was this the one where I was scrolling around the stupid picture of the person on the stand?)

Do the games become more intuitive the more you play?
I just finished my first proper case on Justice For All (diff game/same franchise - indulge me) and I was like a fish out of water for a lot of it. WHAT to use, WHERE and on WHO? AT WHAT MOMENT?

I love the courtroom scenes, and you feel like a BOSS when things go right - so is it just a matter of getting into the way of it?
Like, are you beating these without walkthroughs?

@Super_Conzo

It's all about contradictions. Unless the evidence you're presenting 100% contradicts the exact thing that the witness is saying at that time, it won't work. No leaps of logic allowed! Well, sometimes. But for the most part it's cut and dry "Why is this precise statement false?"

Ok, I'll apply that and see how my next case goes.
I really want to love this franchise.

heliumsky said:

I didn't really like Apollo Justice alot. I remember not really liking his 'power' (which i've already forgotten already... was this the one where I was scrolling around the stupid picture of the person on the stand?)

It's his 'perceive' ability you're thinking of.

A new system, known as the "Perceive System," can be used to look for motions or actions made by witnesses that show nervousness, similar to a tell in poker. The move even comes with the catchphrase, "Gotcha!"

Yeah, I'm not sure I'm really fond of this myself. The good thing is you usually know you're supposed to be using that ability when the bracelet at the top of the bottom screen is activated (so that you focus on perceiving rather on presenting evidence).

@Super_Conzo

I've had the same issue with all the games in the series, to varying degrees. In Apollo Justice, I feel I'm getting better at understanding what the game wants me to do and when the more I play (since I'm on the third trial right now).

Beat the game!
and posted a review, see OP.

Secret_Tunnel said:

Nothing really differentiates Apollo from Phoenix.

I thought that the game was pretty good. The final case is one of my favorite of the whole series; the investigation leading up to the final trial was amazing. The final trial, to me, was a let-down though. I was expecting two or three hours of revelations; I got about twenty minutes of average trial stuff.

The final case was definitely my favorite too. I'm not sure about the final trial being a let-down for me. It was awesome to see the 'jurist system' and how that became Kristoph's undoing, and how awesome that it was all thanks to Phoenix. It's very fitting that Phoenix is revealed to be the star of this game in the end, despite the way he is introduced during the first case, making players wonder 'what did Capcom do to our beloved defense attorney.' Well done, Capcom.

Amanda and I started it tonight but didn't get too far. Liking it a lot. The only thing I'm not entirely jazzed about is the gap between games. I kind of wish the games would stay timeless and that these characters could go on adventures forever. It's a huge problem I had with The Dark Knight Rises.

Anywho, awesome so far. This is the first AA game we're playing on the handheld so it's a little weird. We're so used to sitting back and playing it on the TV together. I wish Capcom would've just ported all of these games to console. They have HD versions of the original trilogy on iOS...why not get them out on Wii U, especially with the new game coming out?

Update: Amanda and I are well into the final case. We are currently in the flashback trial, which, unsurprisingly, has been the best part of the game so far. That music!

Amanda said this - if the best part of the game is essentially a revival of the first game, then it's a clear sign that this game isn't as good. I'd have to agree with her to an extent. So far, this game has felt incredibly drawn out at times, moreso than other games in the series. Despite having only 4 cases, we've probably put more time into Apollo Justice than any other AA game.

Also, I don't know what's up with the internet...but Apollo Justice isn't very likable. He's too poetic or melodramatic or something. He comes off like Phoenix did in the original game, plus more poetic dialogue that makes him try to sound prophetic all the time. I suppose that they need a character like this since Phoenix has matured a bit, but I dunno, he just seems like a stinkier Phoenix Wright to me.

So, while I wouldn't say this game is bad, I think it has to be my least favorite AA game so far. I can't wait to be playing as Phoenix again. The final case has been awesome so far, but the other three cases have been just kind of drawn out and generally uninteresting. I liked parts of the third case, but man, they really make you listen to that song SO many times.

@Secret_Tunnel - for the most part, it's contradictions, but that's not always true. Sometimes a character might allude to something, and you have to present something that confirms what they're talking about. For instance, in the final case, Vera mentions that the commemorative stamp includes a picture of "magicians she liked at the time." You then present tickets to the Troupe Gramarye show to confirm what she's saying. These parts can be incredibly frustrating. Rather than prove a contradiction, sometimes the game wants you to pull a 180 and just confirm what the witness is alluding to.

Yeah I think I'm alone in liking Apollo Justice the most of the DS AA games. I played all four of them in the span of about two months, and not only did I not burn out as they went on, I actually seemed to enjoy each one more than the last, all the way through Apollo. They're all so fantastic, though, the difference is negligible.

The cases just don't feel as wacky as in other games, I dunno. Maybe it's the characters? The final case so far is pretty amazing, but I don't really reflect back to the other cases in the game like I did with other key cases in other games. So far, the final case feels like the only one I'm going to go back and say "Oh man, that was a great case." It has simply taken this game too long to start to explain how everything is tied together, what's going on with Phoenix, etc.

So while the last case is brilliant so far, the rest of the game isn't incredibly memorable.

@PogueSquadron
I think I pretty much agree. I enjoyed AJ for what it was, but I did miss the core cast from the previous game (it didn't help that I felt Apollo and Trucy, and their dynamic, were already really similar to Phoenix and Maya from the original trilogy).

I did think the first case in the game was the best "first case" in the series though. There were a couple of big twists in that one.