This game is fine for anybody who wants a deep and compelling game on the DS where you can also interact using your head
The plot itself is one of the two main attractions to the game, i'll get this out the way first without revealing too much. You are Phoenix Wright throughout this game. You are a young defence atourney with very little experience. This lack of experience allows the writers to introduce you to the core mechanics through the medium or your mentor Mia. From the outset you'd expect a pretty narrow game considering your only vehicle to defend your client is apparently finding contradictions in witness testimonies. But with investigations building up prior to other big cases, many choices (both of open-ended and fix right or wrong answered variety) you'll have a large ammount of input in a game that has as many tribulations as trials, with characters revealing their pasts at oppertune moments to heighten the drama that often sends a tingle down your spine as your own mouth shouts the word "objection" into the DSL microphone to save your clients and friends from being convicted guilty by the judge.
The core gameplay is compelling in the way it heightens drama by providing a story that you have interact to save your client. You really feel as if you want to rip the head off some prosecuters and witnesses that you can clearly see are lying to protect their own interest, driving you forward in a game that you will simply refuse to put down until the very end, which is satisfying and open-ended for the sequels which are of the same ilk.
There are, indeed, times that you will be frustrated by Phoenix Wright:Ace Atourney by the very way it is set out. The linear structure of the plot leads you by the collar into to a few situations you can see coming from a mile off. There are also some sequences of annoying animations you'd like to skip through but can't. One animation in particular where a witness keeps handing you lunch-boxes makes you feel like you want to hand her back a fist after the 30th iteration.
There is a rich array of characters with music that beautifully suit their personality adding to the comic charm the game has in portraying foybles and imperfections in human nature in a non-aggressive and acceptable manner, not like games or even movies these days and the writing in this game deserves credit for its universal appeal.
A "court-room drama" may not be the right genre label for PW:AA. Its more like an inter-twining or various lives being ruined, fixed and threatened by corrupt officials, criminals and ordinary people turned insane by protecting their own pride. The 'goodies' are typically optimistic and determined and instantly likable (with the exception of one, you'll know who i mean when/if you play the game) and the 'baddies' and mysterious and consistanty rely on objective evidence to protect themselves or their client (or both).
The countless twists and turns flow through 5 chapters, seemingly small number? Well you'll find yourself playing for hours on one chapter, a casual gamer like me found that this lasted me 4 months playing 3 times a week. That may be how it is meant ot be played, if you are stuck on an investigation you can go away and think about it for a few days do something else and come back to it later knowing your plan of action.
For this reason, that you can really use your head and feel satisfied with your reasoning in solving each cases, and the fact you need not play it for hours on end should you choose, AND the fact that it takes a seemingly mundane court-room setting and sets it alight with fantastic animation and epic music to climactic effect, I beleive Capcom have done it again in proving big budget graphics games are not always better than the simple and understated. 9.0