Back when the original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney was released on the Game Boy Advance in Japan in the year 2001, creator Shu Takumi wrote a series of developer blogs chronicling the team’s experience working on the game. Two of Takumi’s blog entries at the time described a team-building exercise for the development staff that involved visiting a real-life court of law in Japan.
Takumi says in his post—which has now been translated and published by Capcom—that the actual court experience was quite unlike what he had imagined. Here’s one amusing example Takumi cited:
-Real lawyers hate the word “Objection!”
“You actually harbor a deep-seated hatred for the town the defendant lives in, don’t you?”
The defense attorney watching the prosecution’s extremely biased cross-examination slowly stood up.
(Here we go! He’s going to say “Objection!” now!)
I was on the edge of my seat, thinking I would hear an “Objection!” in a real court of law, but… the defense attorney simply gave a wry smile and said, “You know, that just now was a little… Don’t you think?” as he shook his head from side to side. The prosecutor immediately knew what the defense was talking about, and gave an embarrassed laugh. “…Yeah, I guess so. Um… I retract my previous question.”
No! That’s not how it’s supposed to go! What was with that weak “that just now”?! Aren’t you supposed to extend your arm and point sharply with your index finger as you shout “Objection!” at the prosecution there?!
I guess the phrase “Objection!” isn’t as popular in the real world as I thought.
Of course, Takumi says, the team paid no need to this and tossed Objections into the game anyway. They also had the judge constantly pounding away with his gavel, which doesn’t happen in real-life Japanese courts either.
In case you’re wondering, Capcom published the developer blog as part of the buildup to Ace Attorney Trilogy for the Nintendo 3DS, which is being published in North America and Europe via the Nintnedo eShop. It compiles the first three Ace Attorney games with redone artwork and localization tweaks.
Meanwhile, Takumi himself is at work on a brand new game, titled The Great Ace Attorney. This, too, is in development for the Nintendo 3DS and will be at the Tokyo Game Show in Japan from September 18th – 22nd.
