Turnabout Analysis: Case Names - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
However, this time I'm taking a look at the case names instead. You only see them for a split second on the main menu before you start the case, but do they hide any secrets? Why did the developers choose that particular name? Is there any interesting trivia behind these case titles? That's what I'm hoping to find out!
It's worth nothing that this post contains major spoilers; if you haven't played Ace Attorney (or Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney in particular), look away now!
The First Turnabout
So, we're starting off simple. This one doesn't need much explanation; it's the first case in the entire series, so it makes sense to call it The First Turnabout. Perhaps more interestingly, this wasn't always the first case; developers originally planned Turnabout Sisters to be the opening case. During development, "some major changes in character designs and roles" ⁽¹⁾ were made, which resulted in the need for a new case to come first. Thus, The First Turnabout was born.
Turnabout Sisters
Again, this one is fairly self-explanatory; the case revolves heavily around Mia and Maya Fey, who, if for some reason you didn't already know, are sisters. As far as I can tell, there's no hidden depth here, so let's move swiftly on to the next case.
Turnabout Samurai
We're moving into more complex cases, which, I would imagine, made it more difficult to come up with an appropriate name. Not that Turnabout Samurai is particularly complex in its naming however, as it simply refers to the fact that the murder was allegedly carried out by the Steel Samurai actor, whilst still wearing the Steel Samurai costume. Essentially, the name was chosen to represent the main focus of the case, which, as you might expect, is a common theme.
Turnabout Goodbyes
This was one of the cases I initially had in mind when I was thinking about writing this post, and for good reason. It's one of the more complex cases and, as such, has a slightly puzzling name. Who or what are we saying goodbye to? Put simply, I believe it refers to Edgeworth's past and the DL-6 incident.
Whilst the main case focuses on finding who murdered Robert Hammond, it switches pace towards halfway through to solve the 15-year old DL-6 incident. The climax of the case results in the discovery that it wasn't Edgeworth that killed his father all those years ago, but Manfred von Karma, his trusted mentor up until that point. Edgeworth can finally say goodbye to von Karma and the DL-6 incident, safe in the knowledge that he didn't take his father's life. And it was all thanks to... "that man".After the case is resolved, we see Maya heading home to complete her spiritual training. This is another one of the case's goodbyes; albeit a more literal one, compared to Edgeworth's metaphorical goodbye that I explained previously.
Alternatively, Turnabout Goodbyes could be referring to the fact that this was originally the last case of the game, and we, as players, are saying goodbye to the game and its cast. Or, perhaps... the name was intended to serve all three meanings. Either way, I hope by now I've convinced you that there's sometimes more to Ace Attorney's case names than initially meets the eye!
Rise from the Ashes
The final case of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, or at least the Nintendo DS remake of it. Intended to show off some of the features of the DS and give Japanese players a reason to buy the game again, Rise from the Ashes is the only case in the entire main series not to feature "Turnabout" in its name. It was created after the original trilogy had already been developed and released and acts as a way of explaining Edgeworth's disappearance in Justice for All.
It's possible there are a couple of meanings to this case name; one of which refers to Phoenix Wright "reviving" and resolving the SL-9 incident (the Joe Darke killings), "thereby allowing the truth to 'rise from the ashes' of a 'dead' case" ⁽²⁾. Phoenix is pretty good at finding and solving old cases, isn't he?
Another interpretation of the case could involve a simple reference to the fact that Phoenix is called, well... Phoenix. In Greek mythology, a phoenix is a creature that is reborn by rising from the ashes of its predecessor. Is it possible this is in reference to Phoenix gaining his skills as an attorney by metaphorically rising from Mia's ashes? Or simply just a play on the fact that he's named Phoenix? I'll leave that decision up to you.
I hope you've found this post as interesting as I found it whilst writing it! If you did, please take a moment to share this; it would be greatly appreciated! I plan on covering all the main Ace Attorney games in this series of posts, so I hope you look forward to seeing them. If you've got any comments regarding this post or the site in general, please leave them below or direct them to me over on Twitter. Until next time.... TAKE THAT!
Sources:
⁽¹⁾ Ace Attorney Wiki
⁽²⁾ Ace Attorney Wiki
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