It's a visual novel adventure video game released for Nintendo DS in the year 2007 by Capcom. The story follows two defence attorneys Phoenix Wright and Mia Fey, who have to defend their clients in five episodes. The game is divided into the courtroom sections and investigation. In the former the player cross-examines the witnesses and attempts to find any contradictions; in the latter, they gather information. The gist of the game is that Phoenix has five cases to solve and has to prove his falsely accused clients innocent. In the investigation part, he gathers information, evidence, background and searches for clues in the crime scene. In the trial stage, he listens to the witness, questions them and presents proof into the court. The game is well-fitted for the Nintendo DS where players use the DS stylus to involve the characters, collect evidence, investigate crime scenes and present the case.
The player assumes the roles of Phoenix Wright or Mia Fey, both defence attorneys. There are a total of five episodes, and the next episode only unlocks when the player finishes the first. Each episode is divided into the chapter: investigation and courtroom proceedings. During investigation chapters, the player attempts to find evidence to show in the courtroom sessions; after the player has enough evidence the game moves to the next session. The player performs activities through a menu where there are four options: examine, move, talk, and present. Some witnesses may not wish to discuss certain subjects; then there's a lock symbol that appears over the subject. But if the player shows the witness a magatama, then the player can see the secret in the form of locks, called Psyche-Lock. If the player presents correct evidence, then he/she can break the lock. In the courtroom sections, the player cross-examines the witnesses and defends their clients. If there is a contradiction between a statement and the evidence, the player can point it out. There is a life bar that represents the judge's patience. If the player gives incorrect profiles or evidence, the bar will decrease, and if it reaches zero, that means the player loses, and the client is guilty.
If you want to enjoy this game on your choice of the device, then you should have an NDS emulator. For Windows and Mac, the best available emulator is DeSmuMe; it's open-source, so there is a scope of constant improvement. The next emulator for Windows is Melon DS. If you use Android, then you can opt for the DraStic DS demo. For Linux, iDeaS 1.0.3.8 is the best option presently.
