Ace Attorney 3: Trials and Tribulations - Nintendo DS

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney — Trials and Tribulations for the Nintendo DS is the third and final entry in the original Phoenix Wright trilogy, and widely regarded by fans as the pinnacle of the series — a game that pays off every thread seeded across the first two entries in one of the most emotionally devastating finales in visual novel history.

The story is told out of chronological order across five interconnected cases, weaving together past and present in a way that gradually reveals the true origin of the darkness that has shadowed Phoenix Wright's career from the very beginning. Players not only guide Phoenix through his most difficult trials yet, but also step into the shoes of Mia Fey — Phoenix's mentor — to experience two cases from the early days of her own law career, long before the events of the first game. The enigmatic new prosecutor Godot faces Phoenix across the courtroom in three of the five cases, a mysterious figure in a visor who drinks coffee obsessively and harbors a deep personal grudge whose origins slowly come to light.

Trials and Tribulations plays across two alternating phases — Investigation and Courtroom — in the same tradition as its predecessors. Players explore crime scenes, interview witnesses, and gather evidence during Investigation phases, then bring that evidence to bear during Courtroom phases by cross-examining witnesses, identifying contradictions, and presenting proof at precisely the right moment. The Psyche-Lock system from Justice for All returns, letting Phoenix press characters to reveal hidden secrets during investigations by breaking through their mental defenses with the correct evidence. Five cases are woven together with an overarching mystery that spans all three games, making this the essential conclusion to everything that came before. Stylus navigation and microphone support for "Objection!" and "Hold It!" are fully intact from the DS versions of the previous entries.

Originally developed for Game Boy Advance in Japan in 2004, Trials and Tribulations was ported to Nintendo DS and released in North America in October 2007. The European release was delayed until October 2008 due to PEGI certification issues — notably after Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney had already launched in Europe — making this one of the more unusual release timeline oddities in the series. Written entirely by series creator Shu Takumi, Trials and Tribulations has since been included in the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy across all modern platforms, but the original DS cartridge is the version that introduced countless fans to the conclusion of Phoenix's story for the first time.

Japanese Title: 逆転裁判3 (Gyakuten Saiban 3 / Turnabout Trial 3)
Language: English
Rating: T (Teen)
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Adventure / Visual Novel
Players: 1 player
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Release Year: 2007 (North American DS release: October 23, 2007)

Nintendo DS cartridges are region-free. This U.S. copy will play on any DS, DS Lite, DSi, or 3DS system.

All DS games have been tested and verified as authentic cartridges.