Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Trilogy Walkthrough: Where to Start
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy bundles three courtroom games for the Nintendo 3DS. Here is where to find a walkthrough and how to decide where to begin.
In this article
This Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy walkthrough covers the whole collection, so you can follow one route from start to finish. The collection came out on the Nintendo 3DS on December 9, 2014 [1]. It bundles three courtroom games, and many walkthroughs cover all three together rather than one game at a time [2][3].
This article takes the collection as a whole, which is also known in Japan as Gyakuten Saiban 123 Naruhodo Selection [1]. That Japanese version is included, letting you switch between Japanese and English in-game [1].
Below, you'll find how the three games connect, which one to play first, and where to find a full walkthrough when you get stuck.
What games are in the trilogy collection?
The collection bundles three Ace Attorney courtroom games into one Nintendo 3DS release, so you don't need to track down each game separately. The three titles are Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations [1].
Each game has its own story and its own cases. You finish one set of cases, then move on to the next game, rather than playing one long story in a single sitting [1].
Phoenix Wright at the center
Phoenix Wright is the courtroom hero who ties the collection together. The game's description calls him a rookie lawyer in the early years of his career, and his quest is to find the truth behind the classic cases [1]. For the next step, see Zack and Wiki Walkthrough.
You spend most of your time investigating crime scenes, collecting evidence, and questioning witnesses. Then you use that evidence and the testimonies to fight for your client's innocence [1]. Think of it as one lawyer's story told across three courtrooms.
Where Justice For All fits
Justice For All is the successor to the first game, so it sits later in the series' story [4]. Starting with Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney lets the characters and court rules make sense from the beginning.
If you jump straight to Justice For All, you miss the early cases that set up the story. Playing in the order the collection lists the games means each new idea arrives when the story introduces it [1].
A simple order to follow
A practical route looks like this:
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, the first game and the place to start [4].
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All, the successor to the first game [4].
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations, the last game in the collection [1].
Finish each game's cases before you move on. Your sense of the characters grows with each courtroom, so the later cases land harder when you already know who everyone is.
Where can you find a full walkthrough?
Three sites cover this collection well, and GameFAQs offers the most choices. Each one suits a different kind of reader. To go further, see Tex Murphy Overseer Walkthrough.
GameFAQs has the largest list
GameFAQs is the place to start if you want the widest selection. It lists 42 guides and walkthroughs for the 3DS version [2]. With that many options, you can pick a short hint for one stuck puzzle or a longer route that takes you through every case.
Scan the titles and choose the one that matches how much help you want. A guide for a single tough cross-examination is quick to use during a break. A full run-through works better if you want to play from start to finish with less guesswork.
IGN offers one guide for the collection
IGN has a wiki guide written for the collection as a whole. If you want one page instead of a list, this is the simplest pick. The guide covers Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Justice For All, and Trials and Tribulations on one page [1].
Keep in mind that the page was last updated on December 26, 2014 [1]. That is years before many current guides, so some details may be out of date. Use it for the story and puzzle logic, and compare it with a newer guide if a step does not match what you see.
StrategyWiki has a page for the collection
StrategyWiki describes itself as the video game walkthrough and strategy guide wiki [3]. It has a page for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, so you can find the collection there the same way you would look up any other game [3]. This option suits readers who prefer a wiki-style page over a long list of user guides.
Which one should you pick?
For a quick hint, the GameFAQs list gives you the most options to compare. For one page that covers all three games, the IGN guide is the simplest choice. If you like the StrategyWiki layout, start there and see whether its steps are clear enough for you.
Guides vary in detail, so try a few paragraphs of any page before you commit to it. Read the guide alongside your own play, and use it when you are stuck. Trying the case yourself first keeps the courtroom logic satisfying, and you only get the answers you actually need.
How long does the full trilogy take to finish?
Roughly 15 to 20 hours for the whole trilogy
Most players can finish the full trilogy in about 15 to 20 hours. That estimate comes from TrueAchievements, which lists a full walkthrough for the collection [5]. Plan for that range if you want to see the story through once.
The same walkthrough is built around completion, not just story. It covers all 30 achievements in the collection [5]. If you only want the cases and the story, you can skip the achievement hunting and finish sooner.
Plan your sessions around the chapters
The trilogy is three separate games, and each one has its own cases to finish. Think of each game as a block of chapters rather than one long story. Playing one game at a time gives you a natural place to stop.
For example, you might finish the first game over a few evenings, then take a break before starting the second. Each case ends with a verdict, so you can stop at the end of a case without losing track of the story.
How to split up the time
A simple way to pace yourself is to set a goal per session, such as one or two cases. This keeps the 15 to 20 hour estimate manageable. Most people find that a few short sessions feel less like a chore than one marathon sitting.
If you are aiming for the achievements, leave extra room in your schedule. The full walkthrough covers all 30, so the completion run takes more than the story alone would. Use the chapter breaks to track which achievements you have already earned, so you do not replay cases for no reason.
Keep the long-term goal in view
The trilogy works well as a long game you come back to. Finishing one game first gives you a clear win before you move on. By the end of the third game, you will have covered the whole collection.
Which game should you play first?
Start with the first game in the collection. Beginning there lets the characters and court rules make sense from the start [4]. If you jump ahead, you miss the background that explains why people act the way they do in later cases.
Play in the listed order
Play the games in the order the collection lists them. Don't pick a favorite and skip ahead, because the courtroom rules and the cast carry from one game to the next.
Finish one case set before you move on. If you stop halfway through a case, the details from earlier fade, and you'll spend time rereading to catch up. Once a case set is done, open the next game and start with its first case.
For example, say you finish the first game's last case on a Saturday. Open the second game the next time you sit down, and begin at its opening case rather than jumping into the middle of the story.
Choose a good place to stop
Switch games at a natural break, not in the middle of a trial. The end of a case set is a good stopping point, because the story has wrapped up one stretch of the plot.
Say you play for an hour on a weeknight and finish a case. That's a natural place to stop. Next time, you can start fresh instead of trying to remember where a trial left off.
Use a spoiler-free guide when you're stuck
If you get stuck on a puzzle or a tricky piece of evidence, a spoiler-free walkthrough can help without ruining the story. The Ace Attorney Trilogy guides include spoiler-free walkthroughs for both of the first game's successors [4]. Read only the hint for the step you're stuck on, then go back to playing.
Keep the guide closed until you need it. Reading the whole walkthrough before you play gives away the reveals the games are built around, so the twists land much better when you find them yourself.
Where should you go next?
Pick a walkthrough that matches how much help you want, then open the first game in the collection. GameFAQs lists 42 guides and walkthroughs for the 3DS version [2]. StrategyWiki is a walkthrough and strategy guide wiki that also covers this collection [3]. Choose the one that gives you the level of hint you're after.
Work through one case at a time so the characters and court rules build up in order. If you want a clear finish line, the TrueAchievements walkthrough covers all 30 achievements [5]. Track those as you go, and you'll always know how far you are through the trilogy.