An Ace Attorney Character's Popularity Meant Rewriting Later Games

roseofbattle

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Apr 18, 2011
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An Ace Attorney Character's Popularity Meant Rewriting Later Games

Ace Attorney's prosecutor Miles Edgeworth became popular so quickly that creator Shu Takumi felt the need to write an entirely new prosecutor so that Edgeworth would lose less often.

When Shu Takumi created Ace Attorney, he made Miles Edgeworth out to be Phoenix Wright's rival, the prosecutor to Phoenix's defense attorney. Edgeworth has become a popular character, and that popularity has meant Takumi has had to make some changes to the series.

In an interview with Official Nintendo Magazine, Takumi explained that he largely did not make big-scale changes to the series because the scenarios for each case were completed before the characters are designed. The biggest change came in the second title, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All.

"The stories for that title as I originally wrote them all featured Edgeworth as the prosecutor," Takumi said. "However, during development of the second game, the first one was released and it became clear that Edgeworth was an extremely popular character with fans of the game."

Edgeworth is described as a brilliant prosecutor, and while he certainly is, he is determined to lose if only because he is against the player, who controls Phoenix Wright. This prompted him to create a new prosecutor, another young, genius prosecutor named Franziska von Karma.

"Of course, this meant that I had to rewrite most of the dialogue in the game completely," Takumi added.

However, Edgeworth's popularity continued - to such a degree that Takumi believes Edgeworth may be even more popular than main protagonist, Phoenix. When trying to work in Edgeworth into the games without being the antagonist, Takumi decided to include Edgeworth in the second game's final case.

"When it came to the third title it took me a while to work out how to bring Edgeworth into the story, and in the end it was with the 'turnabout' idea of having him become the player character [in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth]," Takumi said. "I was already writing the story for the final case of the third game when I had this idea, but it was such a 'lightbulb' moment for me that I immediately started rewriting my draft."

The Ace Attorney trilogy will release on the 3DS as a special compilation. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/131540-Update-Ace-Attorney-Trilogy-Coming-to-3DS-With-Enhancements] Capcom released a second Ace Attorney Investigations title, but it was never brought west.

Source: Official Nintendo Magazine [http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/58163/features/interview-shu-takumi-on-the-phoenix-wright-trilogy/?page=1]


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skylog

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Nov 9, 2009
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I think this turned out for the best. Edgeworth became a more nuanced character from the second game on, and his continuing friendship with Phoenix took on a new light.
 

DrunkenElfMage

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Aug 17, 2011
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Franciska Von Karma is one of my favourite prosecutors, so I am a little surprised she was a character made up out of necessity. But now that I think about it, the fact that Edgeworth was mysteriously absent for most of the game because he was "travelling to find himself" was a rather flimsy reason to go with, as well as Phoenix's rather strange hissy fit about his disappearance.
 

PunkRex

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Feb 19, 2010
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OBJECTION!

... I just bought games 1 and 3, now you're telling me they're bringing out a compilation! Gawddamn, now I gotta spend more money.
 

Objectable

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Oct 31, 2013
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In case you're wondering, the fan translation of case 1-3 of AAI2 is out.
DrunkenElfMage said:
Franciska Von Karma is one of my favourite prosecutors, so I am a little surprised she was a character made up out of necessity. But now that I think about it, the fact that Edgeworth was mysteriously absent for most of the game because he was "travelling to find himself" was a rather flimsy reason to go with, as well as Phoenix's rather strange hissy fit about his disappearance.
Well, he WAS considered to have committed suicide.
 

StHubi

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Jan 15, 2010
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The series is one of my favorite and the well made character designs is one of the reasons for this. Edgeworth started out as a worthy Opponent, but I really liked the interaction between Phoenix and Miles a lot. I am really looking Forward to the compilation... Perhaps I will buy this one to "OBJECT AGAIN!!!" :D
 

Madmanonfire

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roseofbattle said:
"When it came to the third title it took me a while to work out how to bring Edgeworth into the story, and in the end it was with the 'turnabout' idea of having him become the player character [in Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth],"
Context error. Takumi wasn't talking about Investigations when answering that question. He was referring to the segment in 3-5 where you get to play as Edgeworth.
 

dateryu

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Aug 22, 2011
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Objectable said:
dateryu said:
1-5 just went out. Still beta so might be some typos left.
Link. Please. Now. I NEED THIS.
Here you go.
http://gbatemp.net/threads/ace-attorney-investigation-2-prosecutors-path-cases-1-5-beta-release.367451/
 

Rozalia1

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Mar 1, 2014
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So Franziska von Karma was created solely to job to Phoenix in place of Edgeworth to keep him protected till the big money match...makes sense I suppose and I don't believe its done Franziska any harm so it all worked out well.

I'll be looking into getting this compilation.
 

Uriel_Hayabusa

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Apr 7, 2014
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So, Edgeworth was the franchise's big breakout star it seems. Well, that's not too surprising given that he got two spinoffs and has appeared in almost every Ace Attorney game. It actually makes me wonder why the makers didn't feel compelled to try and shoehorn him into Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney.
 

Hastln

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Apr 8, 2013
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This may just be me, but I liked Franziska far more than Edgeworth, she was just a better antagonist
 

Tiamattt

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Jul 15, 2011
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They're just hiding the true reason bhind Franziska's creation, because they wanted physically abuse Gumshoe and Wright!

:p
 

Malbourne

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Sep 4, 2013
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So not the Blue Badger? Well, okay then...

OT: I thought it would be just a tad odd if one of the world's greatest prosecutors continually lost to a rookie lawyer. Still, Franziska being a stand-in as a rewrite? She was written well enough that I couldn't tell there was dissonance in the dialogue. Edgeworth's excuse for leaving did seem sketchy, as was his return, but I just assumed he was practicing his finger-painting in the wilderness of Oregon.
 

Vegosiux

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May 18, 2011
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Malbourne said:
So not the Blue Badger? Well, okay then...
That wriggling piece of plywood?

Tiamattt said:
They're just hiding the true reason bhind Franziska's creation, because they wanted physically abuse Gumshoe and Wright!
For Gumshoe, I actually found his constant salary cuts more funny (most likely by now he has to pay to work). But yeah. Phoenix getting whipped was also one of my favorite gags.

I'm not surprised, though, Edgeworth is one hell of a character, and the entire DL-6 affair gives him enough background to establish him as at least a deuteragonist.