Countdown to Apollo

[sabinelagrande]

DAY FIVE: RISE FROM THE ASHES, PART ONE
or, How I learned to stop worrying and love the Gant

Defense Attorney: Phoenix Wright
Side Bar: Ema Skye
Prosecutor: Miles Edgeworth
Defendant: Lana Skye
Victim: Bruce Goodman
Play Time: 2 hours, 2 min (Day One); 57 min. (Day Two Investigation).

I have mixed feelings about this case. It's not really canon; I don't say this because I don't want it to be, because I certainly do, but it doesn't match. There's a different Chief of Police, a different Chief Prosecutor (it is my argument that the person Redd White talks to on the phone in Turnabout Sisters is not Lana, because Lana has some goddamn manners), new evidence rules, a very important, almost totally new backstory for the Blue Badger, and a whole self-contained world. There are certainly things that carry over, especially since Ema shows up in Apollo Justice, but in the end, I think you have to consider it separately, at least from the rest of AA.

All the good pacing in 1-4 is left by the wayside in 1-5. I appreciate that the case was largely added to show off what the DS could do. It shows. There's an awful lot of feeling like you're playing in tutorial mode, and there are all these opportunities to use the new toys that seem really pastede on yey. The case is also HELLA LONG. The first part alone is only three minutes shorter than Turnabout Samurai. Luckily, there are mid-trial save breaks, which are muchly appreciated.

The general mechanics of this case are also more like JFA's than AA's. In particular, there's a lot more presenting things during investigation. Also, the profile system is once again added to the Court Record (which I totally forgot). In general, I find Rise from the Ashes and JFA harder than AA, mostly because there are more options on the table.

One of my favorite Edgeworth moments happens in this case. Ema asks about the car where the body was found, and does Edgeworth get emo faced? No. He gets smug faced. Don't hate. That's just how Edgeworth rolls.

Edgeworth: And then she stabbed him with my knife. She stabbed him with my knife ten times.*

This is the first case where Edgeworth's full title, High Prosecutor, comes up. I don't actually know if it ever comes up again. I assume it does when you go back to his office (…don't you?).

There's not much to be said about shipping in Day One, except that I find the idea of Jake Marshall/Ema adorable and that Mia and Lana were so totally doing it in college. Day Two… well. It's like the Gumshoe/Edgeworth manifesto, isn't it? I find that whole pairing so unbelievably sad and precious, and Rise from the Ashes just makes me want to pet Gumshoe and give him cookies.

But, because I promised, I have to talk about my favorite crack pairing of all time: Edgeworth/Bellboy. Consider if you will: the credits to Turnabout Goodbyes inform us that the Bellboy is now no longer a mere bellboy, but the manager of the Gatewater Hotel. And yet, he has the time to show up at the High Prosecutor's office solely to bring Edgeworth tea service.

Emphasis on the "service."

It's a great pairing though- serving (ahem) Edgeworth gives the Bellboy a certain cachet that he so obviously craves, and, well, Edgeworth love tea like Loli haet pizza. A match made in heaven, I say.

Enough of that. Hey, LJ, is it hot in here?

Ema: Hey, the temperature rose 5.7 degrees when that man walked in!

No, it's just Gant.

If I were a lot more TL;DR than I am (impossible, I hear you say), I might have some interesting thoughts on Gant and the fandom meme surrounding his love of RAEP. But I'm not, so I don't. All I can say is that I am secretly 120 percent gay for him.

On music: there's little to say, because most of it is recycled. Age, Regret, Reward is back, this time for Mike Meekins. Gant's theme, which I've often thought terribly inappropriate, does have the most appropriate name ever (Swimming, Anyone?).

Is… Is that a flyer for Trés Bien Gumshoe has? It looks an awful like Armstrong on there. And it's April May's screwdriver!

This is running long, and it's sure to run longer. So, more of my thoughts on yaoi Rise from the Ashes tomorrow. Now, it's!

Top Three Reasons To Play Rise From The Ashes, Part One
3. Angel Starr's box(es)
2. Holy shit! Gant's giving away fifty dollar bills!
1. WHAT HAS SCIENCE DONE

*Okay, yeah, so maybe I made that quote up.