With the release of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, previously Japan-only spinoffs of the Ace Attorney series are now available elsewhere. Now that the long-awaited news has been revealed, fans are celebrating, and many new players are looking forward to the upcoming match. While the Ace Attorney games are very self-contained, the changes to the cast and story that come with the change in time order can be very perplexing. The order of ace attorney games will be discussed in this section.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Chronological Order
I have reviewed all of the main Ace Attorney games and their spinoffs for the purpose of this article. The specifics of when each game’s events occur to allow for a case-by-case description of each game. This would be the best sequence to follow if simply going through the games in the order that they (mostly) occur.
The Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Timeline: All Games In Chronological Order
- The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures
- The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
- Phoenix Wright: Justice for All
- Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations
- Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
- Ace Attorney Investigations 2 (also known as Gyakuten Kenji 2)
- Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (non-canon)
- Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice
This is the most “chronological” order of the However, as previously mentioned, some games are a little more difficult with their timing.
This applies to The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles as well, despite its very self-contained and linear plot. Actually, two chapters of the first game are sandwiched by a significant chapter from the second game. However, unlike some main series games, the timing of that chapter is made abundantly clear at the time it occurs.
Ace Attorney Games Release Order
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
This game was first made available for the Game Boy Advance on October 12, 2001, before being made available for more recent consoles and devices.
The player is a young defense lawyer named Phoenix Wright who has to try to show that his clients are innocent of the crime they’re accused of committing.
Mia Fey, Phoenix’s boss, and Maya, his assistant, are both required to present their defenses to Miles Edgeworth, the prosecutor.
In this game there are five cases:
- In The First Turnabout, a lawyer defends Larry Butz, who is accused of killing his girlfriend.
- Mia is murdered in the office of Turnabout Sisters, and Maya is quickly taken into custody.
- Phoenix defends Will Powers, who is accused of killing Jack Hammer, in the movie Turnabout Samurai.
- In Turnabout Goodbyes, Edgeworth is detained on suspicion of killing defense lawyer Robert Hammond.
- In Rise from the Ashes, Lana Skye, the prosecutor’s office director, is charged with the murder of detective Bruce Goodman.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice For All
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
Phoenix must once again take on four cases in this game, which was released on October 18, 2002, and attempt to exonerate his clients.
The cases are:
- Phoenix, who is attacked by a fire extinguisher in The Lost Turnabout, first experiences amnesia. Later on in the game, he learns that he ought to be defending Maggey Byrde, who is charged with killing her boyfriend.
- In Reunion and Turnabout, Phoenix is seen defending Maya once more after she has been charged with killing Dr. Turner Grey after he underwent a spirit channeling.
- Maximillion Galactica, a circus magician, is accused of killing his boss Russell Berry during a dispute in Turnabout Big Top, and he appears in court as a result.
- Matt Engarde, an actor who was detained for the murder of his rival Juan Corrida, must be vindicated in Farewell, My Turnabout Phoenix. If not, Shelly de Killer, Engarde’s boss, will be very likely to murder Maya.