Violent images for crime scenes gives this game a 13+, including some content that is not suitable for kids under 12. It makes you think, read, and has many oppurtunities for sharpening your problem thinking skills.
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Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations
(2007, Video Games - Adventure, Rated T, Play it on: Nintendo DS)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)
Not age appropriate for kids under 10, age appropriate for kids over 13; suggested age 13. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Compelling courtroom drama promotes reading.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 13 and Up
The good stuff
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Educational value:
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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What Parents Need to Know
This review of Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations was written by Erin Bell
Parents need to know that because the game takes place in a courtroom and deals with crime as its subject matter, players will be exposed to mature topics including death (by electrocution), theft, assault, poisoning, and jail. Due to the game's anime cartoon style, none of these are rendered especially graphically. Fairly advanced reading and reasoning skills are essential to fully grasp the nuances of the game's dialog and to pick up on important clues to solve the case.
Families Can Talk About
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- Families can talk about whether they enjoy games driven completely by dialog and clicking through menus or whether they would have preferred some action elements as well. In what ways does the game introduce conflict without resorting to combat? If you could be a lawyer, would you choose the prosecution or the defense?
More on Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations
What’s the Story?
PHOENIX WRIGHT ACE ATTORNEY: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS is the third game in Capcom's popular courtroom simulation series starring defense lawyer Phoenix Wright. In Trials and Tribulations, Phoenix has five new cases to solve as he attempts to prove the innocence of his falsely accused clients. In the investigation phase, Phoenix and his team gather evidence and background information by speaking to witnesses and searching the crime scene for clues (achieved by tapping objects of interest with the stylus). In the trial stage you listen to witnesses' testimony and can press for more information, cross-examine, or present evidence in order to strengthen your case.
Extremely well-suited to the Nintendo DS, the Phoenix Wright series eschews traditional video game action sequences in favor of a completely menu-driven system in which players use the DS stylus to engage characters in conversation, investigate crime scenes, collect and present evidence, and finally present a case before the judge.
CloseIs It Any Good?
This game isn't the best entry point into the Phoenix Wright series, since it makes a lot of references to events and characters that have appeared in past games. If you're already familiar with the series, however, Trials and Tribulations delivers more of the same investigative problem-solving and dramatic courtroom scenes that you've grown to love.
Trials and Tribulations is as compelling as any TV courtroom drama, provided you don't mind scrolling through the endless dialog boxes that make up the game's narrative -- or starting over again at the beginning of the trial if you make too many mistakes along the way, such as presenting the wrong evidence or asking the wrong question. Players can get even further into the spirit by shouting "Objection!" or "Hold it!" into the DS microphone at the appropriate moment (instead of just tapping the appropriate dialog box with the stylus). In short, Trials and Tribulations lives up to the Phoenix Wright moniker by delivering another satisfying courtroom adventure that emphasizes reading and problem-solving.
ClosePublisher’s Details
Released on 10/23/2007, price $19.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: T (for Mild Blood, Mild Violence)
ESRB rating: T (for Mild Blood, Mild Violence)
Our Members Say
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
- Safety isn't an issue
- Easy to play
O-B-J-E-C-T-I-O-N: Investigative Video Game
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
- Safety isn't an issue
- Easy to play
Objection!
This game is a great for ppl who want 2 become a lawyer and there is perivous series 2
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Hold It!
Have you played this game? Then open a new window to the Internet and buy the first one from eBay RIGHT NOW! The Ace Attorney series is a work of genius, and this game is the culmination of every other before it. Players will indeed be lost without having played the first two. But, Phoenix's epic, funny, touching journey makes for excellent gaming, and the satisfaction one gets from presenting a particularly powerful point is undercut by great music and sound. I cannot recommend it enough.
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