Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy HD (Multi)
By: Capcom
FROM Atticus Finch and Perry Mason (the walking man's Ironside) to Lionel Hutz, the life of the humble lawyer hardly seemed suited to gaming. But for litigious larks, Nintendo had an ace in the hole.
Released in 2001, Phoenix Wright’s courtroom capers have made him this century’s greatest fictional lawyer, spawning numerous spin-offs, including a bonkers live action film from the legendary Takashi Miike.
One of the defining series for Nintendo’s handhelds, this trilogy combines the first three titles – Ace Attorney, Justice for All and Trials and Tribulations – with updated visuals on modern rigs. No ambulance chasing or compo claims for Phoenix, the startlingly coiffured rookie defence attorney thrown into high-profile cases where nothing is as it seems.
Blue-suited and booted, young Wright has gumption, moxie and other Abe Simpsonisms as he investigates the facts behind his cases. Playing out like point and click visual novels, the wonderfully bonkers plots have our legal eagle bouncing between investigation, interrogating witnesses and defending clients in court.
Rather than creaky affairs, the cases involve cowboys, magicians and such as you rock the dock. It’s all good-natured, with pun-heavy humour, though at times it can be rather unclear what you’re supposed to do or when to shout "Objection!" Still, if you haven’t tried Ace Attorney before, now’s the time get on board, with the cream of the series in full HD, and each clocking in at around 15 hours.
Visual novels aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but this quirky detective hoo-hah won’t get any objection from me. Plus it’s the most fun you’ll ever have in the company of a solicitor.
Dangerous Driving (Multi)
By: Three Fields Entertainment
KEEPING the sparkplugs firing for Burnout fans, the tiny team at Three Fields contains many alumni of the hit racing franchise, and having cut their teeth on indie darling Danger Zone and its sequel, the team have now gone the whole hog with a racer proper.
Trimming the open-world bloat from Burnout Paradise, Dangerous Driving is instead a straightforward asphalt-worrier with variations on familiar modes. From basic lap racing to Road Rage, the emphasis is firmly on taking out your rivals in a blindingly nippy blur of autophilia.
Hooning your wheels through snow, forest and desert, Burnout’s familiar physics mean your ride hugs the road in an unashamed arcade-fest, with boosts, wild drifting and, of course, crashes.
The unique hook this time is so simple you wonder why it was never thought of before. The fruit of your wrecks remain on the course, adding a healthy dollop of strategy in deciding where to take out rivals, as that hunk of twisted metal will be there on your next lap. It’s a genuinely thrilling take on the risk-reward loop and results in final laps that resemble a breaker's yard.
Sadly, budgetary limitations do bite, with so-so visuals and no soundtrack (you can, however, connect the game to Spotify). There’s also no multiplayer at launch, though this is promised down the road. It may be a bit barebones, but what a skeleton!
