The Stolen Turnabout, Day Two Trial

 

Hallo, alle miteinander, and welcome back to Wright Wednesday! This is the weekly article series where we recap, analyze, and review the cases of the Ace Attorney series. This week, we're up to the first day of trial of The Stolen Turnabout, the second case for Trials and Tribulations. My name is Roy, and I do not like coffee. It is gross.

My name is Sam, and I am slowly working on my ability to have coffee without 20 tons of sugar in it.

We start before the trial actually begins, with Maya excitedly talking to Phoenix about how popular this trial seems to be. She even bought a publicity photo of Mask✰DeMasque outside the courthouse, which goes into evidence. Ron shows up, shouting loudly about how Guilty he is, how he should be punished, how he admits to sending the calling card to Lordly Tailor. Phoenix points out he doesn’t have the Sacred Urn, but Ron says that’s not evidence of him not being Mask✰DeMasque. Again, he really, really wants Phoenix to get him a Guilty verdict. But then his wife shows up, happily talking about how innocent Ron is and how cross she’ll be with Phoenix if he doesn’t get the right verdict. She’s clearly trying to be protective, but Ron doesn’t seem to like it, while also not being able to speak out against it. Phoenix admits he has no clue what the truth is yet, and then it’s time for court to start.

I find both Ron and Dessie to be entirely too adorable, and I want them to be happy.

The trial seems to start normally, up until the Judge asks the new prosecutor, Godot, if he’s ready. He says that’s a stupid question, before throwing it back at the Judge, asking if he is ready, ready to pass judgement. Confused, the Judge says he’ll refrain from passing judgement until he’s heard both side’s arguments. To which, Godot just says that if the Judge isn’t ready, he shouldn’t expect anyone else to be, and calls that a rule to live by.

Godot is...strange. I'm less intimidated than I am confused.

Godot gives his name, calls himself “legendary”, and claims to have never lost a case, just as his music kicks in. Said theme music is legendary itself, a beautiful little jazz number that really stands out, expertly crafted on the GBA’s sound system. His design stands out too, with his white and green outfit, shock of white hair, and the mysterious technological mask he wears over his eyes. He looks both cool and ridiculous, which is a good fit for Ace Attorney. He also has a unique laugh, which as a One Piece fan I have to respect. It’s “Ha...!” I like to try and imagine how that sounds.

I guarantee his theme music has been used for sexy jazz porn somewhere, sometime.

When the Judge asks Godot what kinds of cases he’s worked in the past, Godot admits that he’s never prosecuted a case before. He’s never lost before because he’s never won before. The Judge makes it clear he thinks the mask is more than a little weird, but Godot turns it around into a metaphor about how everyone wears a mask. I swear to Haruhi, Godot’s propensity for elaborate analogies reminds me of way too many college students I know.

He definitely is putting on a show. I'll give the writers that, it never feels like you're truly seeing who this person is.

He then addresses Phoenix, calling him “Phoenix Trite”, and makes it clear he’s eager to finally meet him. Phoenix has no clue who the guy is, and Godot gives one of his most famous lines. “I’ve returned from the depths of Hell...to do battle with you.” From there, it’s actually time for the case to start. Godot refuses to do an opening statement, instead only wanting to ask Phoenix how much pressure he thinks he can stand before breaking. Gumshoe is called as the first witness, but Godot stops him from giving his name and occupation, claiming he doesn’t care, and only wants Gumshoe’s testimony.

Very utilitarian when it comes to other people speaking, it seems.

Gumshoe goes over the facts of the case, which we know already. Once it’s done though, the Judge claims that Godot himself might be the famous thief. Godot just smiles at that, and his first mug of coffee of the day slides down his bench without explanation into his waiting hand, ready for him to start drinking it. When the Judge objects to drinking coffee in court, Godot delivers another one for the history books. “Blacker than a moonless night, hotter and more bitter than Hell itself...That is coffee.” I definitely agree with the bitter part. Coffee sucks.

I recently found Cinnamon Toast Crunch coffee creamer, and let me tell you this coffee cynic has never liked coffee so much. Then I started trying to reduce my sugar intake, and I'm back to not drinking coffee much at all. Point is, hotter and more bitter than hell, but find the right ingredient and it can be a good hell.

Thanks to my recent night job, I've had to get back on soda just to stay awake.

The contradiction at play is that Mask✰DeMasque only goes after really expensive pieces of art, but the appraisal showed the Sacred Urn to be worthless. Godot corroborates this, admitting the appraisers he spoke to agreed it had no financial value at all. When asked about this hole in the prosecution’s logic, Godot just starts talking about his coffee. Apparently it’s a blend he made himself, something he does a lot. This one is #107. He tries to bring this tangent in as a way to say that, since he’s thinking about his coffee, he’s not worried about this contradiction. He cuts to the chase, saying that if Phoenix is trying to say Mask✰DeMasque isn’t the one who stole the urn, he’s suggesting an imposter, a Fake✰DeMasque. If Phoenix is claiming that, Godot wants proof.

He does have a talent for cutting right to the chase instead of the usual "what are you implying Phoenix, Present like six articles of evidence to demonstrate your clear implication" song and dance.

The evidence required is the security camera photo. Why? Because if you compare it to the publicity photo Maya bought, it’s clear there’s a problem with the costume. Namely, that there isn’t any broach. It is a bit weird that the game just brings up that publicity photo itself, and doesn’t ask you to Present it as well, but whatever. Anyway, everyone talks about the missing broach, but then Godot just pulls it out of nowhere. He apparently found it at the crime scene and didn’t tell anyone. (He also calls the Ami Fey statue a ‘female Buddha statue’ which feels more than a little culturally insensitive to me.)

I'm curious about the localization there; I think the implication is that he didn't look at it closely or care what it was, just saw a religious effigy and was like "yeah, I know what that is." But I wonder how that might have changed in translation.

 

That is an interesting question, one of many I'd love to have answered if I could talk to someone who plays Gyakuten Saiban instead of Ace Attorney.

The broach had Ron’s fingerprints on it. Godot uses weird romantic/sexual language to refer to the broach and the fingerprints on it. I feel like that’s supposed to be another thing to make him cool, but to me it just makes him sound like a creepo. Anyway, he’s done with Gumshoe now, and after it’s brought up how the broach has torn fabric on the back, Godot says it’s from a struggle. His next witness will be the one to explain all about said struggle: Luke Atmey.

Everyone's favorite narcissist.

Once at the stand, Atmey does his character analysis thing on the Judge and Godot, though that’s a lot less impressive considering...y’know...they’re in court. Atmey and Godot stroke each other’s egos a bit, then Atmey gives his testimony. It’s basically what he admitted to the day before: at 1am, Mask✰DeMasque showed up and conked him on the head. Then, when he woke up a half hour later, he called the cops. The Judge comments on how weird it is that Atmey seems smug about failing at what his task was in every way imaginable, but Atmey retorts his enemy is so crazy awesome that it had to be Mask✰DeMasque

Ah yes, the old "I am so much better than them, so the fact that they beat me must mean it's them because they're so powerful" routine. Gotta love it.

The way forward is to Present the broach when he talks about never getting a hit on his opponent. After all, how would it have come loose if there was never a fight? Clearly, there had to be a struggle, but then why would this self-aggrandizing loudmouth keep quiet about it? There’s a point where Atmey tries to push back against the Judge and says the wrong thing, causing the Judge to snap at Atmey sharply. I like seeing those occasions where the Judge shows his backbone, or outright dislikes a witness who deserves it. Atmey ends up just saying he was confused, and wants to testify again, this time about how he and Mask✰DeMasque fought.

It is always nice to see the Judge show some degree of self-awareness and critical thought. Sometimes it can be easy to forget he has them.

I never forget, even when the games want me to.

Atmey testifies to his fight with the thief, saying he looked away from the door briefly, but turned in time to see Mask✰DeMasque before the thief grabbed a weapon and knocked him unconscious. Apparently the time he was struck from behind was during Mask✰DeMasque’s third crime, and he got them mixed up.

Remember what I said last week about the Magatama?

...I mean I do, obviously, but maybe refresh the memories of the readers.

I'll talk about it in the analysis, so explanation then.

Atmey explains that he had sensors put on all other entrances to the room--like air ducts, and even a cat door--and he looked away from the door to check the computer when one of them was tripped. This equipment was supplied by Lordly Taylor, so theoretically he couldn’t have rigged it. He claims that he was disarmed by a blinding flash of light before DeMasque took him out, and that he used is signature “Atmey Fighting Style,” which consists of backing up to a wall so you can’t be hit from behind. But since he previously said he was hit on the back of the head by the sword, that’s an easy contradiction to spot.

It's also kind of an odd one. Like...there's no evidence to support either position, he just said one thing and then the other.

Between this lie and the sheer suspicion of Atmey keeping the calling card from police, Phoenix lays down one of his signature accusations: Luke Atmey must be the true thief! This lines up with his previous stories as well; he was always hiding at crime scenes so no one saw him, he miraculously recovered the previous treasure…Phoenix asserts that he gained exclusive access to the warehouse, then used that privacy to dress up as Mask✰DeMasque and steal the urn.

As I talked about last week, this is a popular theory a lot of players come to early in the case, even before trial begins.

It seems like Phoenix has this one in the bag, even that Atmey might be about to confess, when Phoenix is doused with coffee. Godot pulls the “this makes more sense than any other theories, but show us absolute proof or it means nothing” move, and Phoenix has no rebuttal. But before the Judge can act, Dessie takes the stand to deliver a shocking revelation: she found the Sacred Urn! In Luke Atmey’s office!

The sound effect of Phoenix being hit with coffee is hilarious.

This new evidence seems rather definitive, until Godot points out the fact that Dessie is the defendant’s wife, and thus has motive to lie in defense of her husband. When pressed to prove that the urn was in Atmey’s office, Phoenix suggests looking for fingerprints; Atmey always wears gloves, but Phoenix remembers the day before, when he felt inside the bag at Maya’s behest and felt something hard and smooth. If the urn was indeed inside the bag in Atmey’s office, Phoenix would have left his own fingerprints on it!

This is an excellent point, but it does once again kind of rely on everyone trusting Phoenix at his word.

Sort of, but if his fingerprints are on it then his story is the only plausible explanation. Godot tries to wriggle out of this, saying Phoenix could have touched the urn at any time, but Adrian Andrews had previously said she polished it until it was glowing; it was without fingerprints before the theft, so if Phoenix’s fingerprints are indeed on it, it could only be from the day before in Atmey’s office.

That was more what I was referring to. Like, we know Phoenix is telling the truth, but he could be lying about what Adrian Andrews said about polishing it, which would have meant his fingerprints could have been on it for a different reason.

That's fair, there are a few times in this case when things someone said to Phoenix in private outside of court are used as evidence.

Before the Judge can order this search done, Atmey breaks down and confesses. Unable to find a suitable rival, he created one himself in Mask✰DeMasque. He sort of loses it, and is brought to the lobby through peals of unhinged laughter. But the verdict is interrupted by Ron himself, insisting he’s the thief and begging the judge to pronounce him guilty. When Godot tells him to prove it, he testifies that it was him; he has no alibi, and the broach was accidentally snagged on the door, not torn off in a fight.

Not the first time this has happened to Phoenix.

This is where The Butz comes through for us. The wallet he gave us belongs to Ron DeLite, and was found at the same time as the crime, at KB Security; considering the drive time between the two locations, this indicates that Ron was not at Lordly Taylor at that time. Ron, now desperate, suggests the wallet was planted to make it look like he wasn’t at the scene of the crime, and Godot points out that Phoenix has yet to establish a motive for Ron’s being at KB Security; but of course the blackmail letter handily establishes this, as well as the specific time that Ron was there.

Boy, this case seems to be ending a little early, doesn't it?

Godot switches the scenario around a bit, noting that Phoenix is essentially accusing the CEO of KB Security of blackmail with no investigation, let alone proof. So as proof, Phoenix suggests calling a new witness to the stand: Larry Butz. Ron’s coworker and fellow KB employee. Since the key card has its uses recorded, he could provide proof that Ron’s card was used to enter the office that night. Godot takes a sip of a new cup of coffee just so he can spit-take it.

Damage sprites have been rare from Godot so far, but they are good when you get them.

After a quick break for the prosecution to look into this, Godot brings the results. The CEO is named Kane Bullard, and while Godot could not contact him directly, he did get the key card data. It confirms that the card in Ron’s wallet was used at the time of the crime, proving that the Mask✰DeMasque in the security photo couldn’t be Ron. Godot admits to this fact, and the Judge delivers his verdict: Ron DeLite is Not Guilty.

Despite the fact that Ron is still basically begging for a Guilty verdict.

Celebrations are cut short, however, when Godot shows up in the Defendant Lobby to reveal that Kane Bullard was found dead in his office. Estimated time of death was 1AM on October 12th. Painting a clear picture of a cornered Ron DeLite murdering his blackmailer. Ron has officially gotten out of the frying pan and into the fryer; tomorrow, he’ll be tried for murder. Based on the evidence Phoenix himself provided in court.

Aaaaaaand that is one hell of a way to end a day in court! Ready for the analysis, Sam?

Ready! 

This case seems to be setting up for something similar to what you've pointed out as one of this game's central themes; masks, hidden identities, etc. But it's going a bit deeper, getting into the plots within plots that are made possible by imposing that uncertainty onto others. We'll see how it delivers as it goes, but it looks like nothing is as it seems in this case, all because of obfuscation and clever maneuvering. It seems to me, based on this case so far, that it's less about the corruption and moral ambiguity of previous games and more about manipulation. 

Still not the strongest theme, since pretty much all these cases are about that to some degree, but it's a bit more explicit here.

For sure, especially with how the idea of 'fakes' is brought up a lot in this particular segment of the case, including in a fun way that obliquely references something to come in the next case!

Honestly, I think we have to talk a lot about the ending of this segment, because it's one of the most significant and crazy things about the case as a whole. For a second, it all starts to feel okay. Sure, there are lingering mysteries, but the obvious jerk has been arrested as the real criminal and we got our Not Guilty! Then Godot shows up and rains all over everything!

I think we should save Godot talk for a bit later in this analysis, but the very idea that they not only fake the player out with a seeming victory, only for it to be snatched away in the cruelest way possible, the fact that the alibi we worked so hard to get is what lands Ron in his new legal trouble makes it all the more terrifying. Like, we just proved he was there, what are we going to do now?

It also colors Ron's desperation to be found Guilty, as it can now be seen for what it was: an attempt to give himself an alibi for a murder.

The ending of this segment is an absolutely brilliant bit of writing for this series. Aside from the bountiful shock value, it turns the case on its head and recontextualizes everything, from Ron's attempt to find an alibi for murder to what could be argued is the same attempt on Atmey's part. Fantastic end to the first court day.

Also a little fun fact: Of course this faked out victory should still count if you're tallying Phoenix's total win record. Also also: While this Establishing Case does give a fake-out about only lasting one trial day, there actually is an Establishing Case from much later in the series that is that short. We will get my feelings on them doing that when we get there.

That's interesting, I think I haven't played that one? Or I don't remember it.

One thing I enjoy about this fakeout is that it effectively leaves the motives and characters of its major players in the dark, despite seemingly having brought them to light. We don't know if Ron knows about the murder; and if so, is he actually innocent, or was he trying to get off easy? But similarly, Luke Atmey comes off looking plenty suspicious too; did he know about the murder, and what was his motivation in all this? Keeps the whole theme of masks and obfuscation going strong.

What's more, there have been previous times when it feels like the first trial didn't establish much, leaving most of the actual case to cram into the second half for no real reason (Turnabout Big Top was the big offender so far, but definitely not the only one). This could fall into that trap, theoretically, since we now have a completely different case to solve. But 1) this fakeout was so good that I don't particularly care, and 2) the robbery does actually matter to the rest of the case, so it actually works.

It's pretty great pacing and story-writing, in my opinion. I think we should move on to our new prosecutor. I think I broadly made my point in the recap, so why don't you share your thoughts on Godot first, Sam?

Well... honestly I'm a little underwhelmed.

This was my reaction to him the first time I played this game too, and I remember being confused because he seems to have made such an impression with the rest of the fanbase. But for me at least, he fails to establish as strong a presence as either of the previous prosecutors, and while the whole "returned from Hell to battle you" thing has me curious, I feel like I don't have the context to even guess at what that means or who he is, and the reveal will inevitably have little established significance to me (which, considering I have played this game before and have no memory of it, I'm inclined to expect that will be the case). 

Doesn't help that Phoenix does that thing at the end, like "He's the most dangerous enemy I've ever faced," despite Godot having done pretty much nothing that previous prosecutors haven't. I don't know, he honestly just doesn't come across all that well for me I guess.

...I was really not expecting that. This should be interesting!

Personally, I have a very love/hate relationship with Godot. There are a lot of aspects of his character that I think are really neat and that I appreciate, and a lot of other aspects that I despise and wish had been done better.

But since you're starting off with apathy as your primary response, I feel like I should take up the task of talking up what I like about him.

As I said before, I really like his design. He's the first attorney we see who doesn't wear a jacket, just a vest over his shirt, and I think it looks neato burrito. The visor is very silly and very cool at the same time, and I really appreciate the work done with his animations and poses. He consistently feels as though he's really only half paying attention to the trial, letting it go on its own, and that's shown with the relaxed posture of his sprites.

Much like Luke Atmey, another thing I do love about the character is his dialogue. It is spicy, that kind of delicious overwritten ridiculousness that in the right doses feels fun to read. It helps that very few characters talk like he does, and Phoenix is consistently ribbing the guy in his head for being so confusing.

He definitely has a unique demeanor and manner of speech. It seems like he's not paying close attention half the time, but he always knows how to work things in his favor anyway. He does seem to be well-written, I'll definitely give him that.

I think one thing you're picking up on, the way he kind of doesn't stand out, is another thing I really appreciate. I can't remember if we've discussed in on Wright Wednesday before, but when trying to introduce new elements to an ongoing story, there are two primary ways to establish them: Difference in Scale and Difference in Kind.

For example, Manfred von Karma was a Difference in Scale for the kind of prosecutor faced in court. He was like Edgeworth, but worse and more difficult in every way. Franziska is honestly kind of neither, as she mostly did the same stuff as Edgeworth, just with whipping and coming off as somewhat less capable. I am grossly oversimplifying that, but readers can go back to our Justice for All coverage to dig into our thoughts on her character.

Godot is the first prosecutor who isn't at all trying to be established as somehow 'worse' or 'stronger' than previous prosecutors. He isn't more unrelenting, or more witty, or anything like that. His style of prosecuting is completely different. Compared to Edgeworth, Godot almost seems to be letting the trial run itself, only jumping in on occasion to mess with Phoenix. And when he does, it isn't in the aggressive way Edgeworth did, but instead almost like a judo move. Godot doesn't try to argue against what Phoenix is saying, he only ever tries to reframe the conversation to his own benefit, evading the blow rather than parrying it.

More than that, the end of this trial day implies that Godot knew something like this was going to happen. For whatever reason, he is in court to screw with Phoenix Wright, and knew he would win either way. A Guilty verdict would hurt him, but a Not Guilty verdict would only put Phoenix's defendant into hotter water. It's definitely up in the air how much Godot knew about the murder and when he learned about it, but Phoenix's comment at the end about how dangerous he is relates to this tactic: Godot doesn't care about the cases. He doesn't care about winning. He just wants to screw Phoenix over, however he can.

 

Hmm. That's fair. The personal vendetta against Phoenix manifests in how he approaches these court sessions, and that is a uniquely interesting element of how he prosecutes.

But as for what I don't like about Godot...that hasn't been super apparent for those playing through for the first time, but it is there. Take special note of some of his word choices. He talks about 'men' a lot, while referring to inanimate objects using feminine descriptors. I can't say more about it than that just yet but...it's where it starts.

Oh. Oh I hadn't noticed that. That's...oh. I'll be keeping an eye out.

Moving away from the coffee drinker, let's get to that thing I referenced last week and then again earlier in the article today. Remember that Magatama scene from yesterday? The one where we caught Atmey lying about what he was doing when the theft happened, and we broke the locks when he 'admitted' to being hit on the back of the head and knocked unconscious? The exact same thing we completely disproved during this day in court?

...oh, right. Yeah. Oops.

That seems like a pretty significant oversight. I mean it's magic, so maybe there's some kind of twisted logical explanation, but it sure seems like a notable hole.

As we said numerous time through Justice for All, we are both the type to normally forgive plot holes, we are not trying to be CinemaSins. But this is a mystery story where the player needs to work to solve a mystery, and one of the tools in our lawyer toolbox is a literal magic item that reveals lies and helps find the truth. As far as I'm aware this is the only time in the series it has led us to the wrong answer. If you treated it as genuine gospel truth, that would actively make the case harder to solve, and really kind of sucks. I'll say it right now: there is no sign the writers saw this had happened, no loophole, it's just a big goof.

These kinds of mistakes do matter more in mystery stories than other genres, and it's all the worse for the implications it has on the Magatama. But I agree, it's likely it's just a mistake as opposed to something we should take into account in series canon.

Did you feel any sexual tension between Ron and Godot, or was that just me?

Um...yeah that might have just been you. I did really enjoy the way Ron felt so affirmed by Godot believing him and egging him on, because Ron DeLite is a precious babby. I guess I can see where that might come from, but yeah it didn't show up on my radar.

There's a fun continuity moment when you're cross-examining Luke Atmey, where he asks Phoenix if he's ever been hit on the head. Phoenix is like, "Yeah, with a fire extinguisher," and as much as I dislike that case I am astonished is keeps being referenced.

I can just see someone on the writing team being like, "Hey, I'm real proud of that amnesia case, make sure to fit in a reference to it now and again."

Among the many sayings Godot throws around in this segment, there is one that will prove important later on, "A man holds his head up high, no matter how bad things get.”

I guess? I don't remember enough specifics to know its exact significance, but that phrase seems applicable to a wide variety of situations.

*cryptic laughing*

We haven't talked a lot about Atmey today, but I did want to say that I really like his animations as he's losing at the end. Particularly his face as he confesses, with the dark bags under one eye. It gives the impression he is really at his rope's end, regardless of whether that's true or not.

Yes, it was a pretty good breakdown. Phoenix Wright animations are always just amazing at conveying personality, and Atmey continues to have that in spades.

There (probably) won't be any more breakdowns next week, because we're heading back to the streets for investigation, only this time, it's for a murder. Auf wiedersehen!

Until next time!!