Everything Wrong With: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies
Special Episode: Turnabout Reclaimed

Warning: This review now contains spoilers for the newly released Spirit of Justice, in addition to all the other games mentioned in the warning on Episode One. Nothing specific, but you have been warned.

So... Spoilers (duh)

"Game turns case that didn't make the cut for the arbitrary five episode limit into a way to make more money... even though The Cosmic Turnabout and Turnabout for Tomorrow could have easily been combined into one episode, leaving room for this one. Unnecessary cut from main game was unnecessary." *ding

"Narration." *ding

"Can't Phoenix just go back to being a lawyer because it's the only job he was remotely good at? Does he really need an 'unfinished business' motive here?" *ding

"We interrupt your regularly scheduled murder mystery to bring you... Seaworld? In an alternate universe where they give a shit about their animals? That's... actually kind of nice." *only a half-sin

"How did they get a mustache on Orla? And how does it remain attached to her body? I need these answers to solve the case, goddammit." *ding

(Apollo and Athena ignore Phoenix) "These two are a dick to their employer, which is not good business practice for someone who wishes to keep their job." *ding

"Who gave Athena control of the remote? And why do these people keep a TV in their office? This game never answers the important questions." *ding

(Sasha shows up at the office) "Damn. And I thought Phoenix had spiky hair." *ding

"You experienced space jokes in the last two episodes, now it's time for some sea puns. Seriously, which writer thought these were in any way fin-ny?" *ding

"I know I'm late to the party asking this, but why is murder the only kind of crime these people ever take on? Are you telling me Larry's never needed Phoenix's help in evading sexual harassment suits, or gone to trial for stalking? Are other crimes somehow not as funny in this world? Is murder more common than I think it is? This never gets explained." *ding

"Why did Sasha come here to find Phoenix Wright when he hasn't been practicing for eight years? I know he just got his badge back, but this is lucky as fuck. What if he'd still been disbarred? Is there any reason (other than plot convenience) Apollo's not the guy she's looking for?" *ding

"Also, Apollo is left out of this case because... reasons." *ding

"What aquarium in their right mind allows penguins to run loose on the premises? Rifle might be fierce, but no way is she not getting lost or stolen." *ding

"Fake Fulbright is the detective of this case. Playing the finale before this one has given me the sudden urge to strangle him, which is one more reason that option should not exist." *ding

"The defendant of this case is an orca. No one who plays this game will be that surprised by this, but it does merit one sin for being crazy as fuck." *obligatory sin given

"No one will let Phoenix forget about the parrot from the first game. Much like Leia and her bikini, it will haunt Phoenix and his character for the rest of this franchise's lifespan." *ding

"Autopsies are not only performed in the case of homicide. Even for this game, that is bullshit." *ding

"Sasha thinks splashing Phoenix with a water cannon is an appropriate way to thank him for taking Orla's case. She is incorrect." *ding

(Fulbright reveals the decisive evidence) "The Phantom sucks at being a detective. Unfortunately, Blackquill isn't as cruel as Edgeworth, Von Karma, or Godot when it comes to detectives' wages, so this error goes unrectified." *ding

(Sign advertising feeling of electric eels and feeding piranhas) "That's not legal. At least, not without a waiver it's not. Why is this aquarium still open again?" *ding

(DePlume calls Phoenix "blue boy") "Norma calls him this, despite Phoenix never once blowing his horn to the sheep in the meadows." *ding

("Well, whatever you are, I don't have the slightest interest.") "Then why did you ask?" *ding

(DePlume's floating scarf) "Between this and the next two games, I'm starting to think one of Capcom's artists has a fetish for floating cloth. Calling the theory now." *ding

"Rapping." *ding

"Game implies relationship between Pearl and Marlon Rimes. Between this and the magic panties, I think they're trying to put me on a watch-list of some sort." *ding

"Athena is bad with animals. It's... actually, really funny. " *no sin

"Also, Pearl Fey." *removes a sin

(Explaining how Phoenix and Athena met) "Game teases fascinating prequel that has yet to exist. And no, I'm not talking about Dai Gyakuten Saiban." *ding

"Much as I love Pearls... are you telling me the only way they could get her into this case was to make Phoenix's Magatama run out after ten years of that never happening the same day she just happens to be in the same building on a summer camp field trip? And neither person knew what the other would be doing? If so, fuck this game." *ding

"More rapping." *ding

(Pearl and Marlon's calendars) "Mixed up identical items cliche." *ding

"How does Phoenix show the camera footage to DePlume when he doesn't physically have it on hand? This series has ten games in it, and we're still no closer to learning how the Court Record works than we were in 2001." *ding

(How DePlume got into the aquarium) "Casual trespassing." *ding

"If Fulbright doesn't care that DePlume told Phoenix what she witnessed, why was it ever a secret? Was it so Phoenix could use the Magatama one more time?" *ding

(Blackquill considers taking the case) "Why do I get the feeling this was less about him seeing merit in the case and more about getting out of prison for a few hours to laugh at crazy lawyers? Because that is the only reason anyone sane would entertain this bullshit." *ding

"Athena stands on an obviously marked spot in the orca pool and is surprised when the orca responds." *ding

(Getting hit by the volleyball into crates) "Also, she survives this. Unharmed." *ding

"Referencing Sharknado." *ding

"Swimming with an orca? I'll take it. Swimming down to the bottom of a 65 foot pool and staying down there long enough to collect all the coins with no gear on in one try? I'm sinning it." *ding

"No, Phoenix. Defending Orla in court was not your idea from the start. It was Sasha's. Get it right." *ding

(Court begins) "Holy shit, they actually convinced a judge to preside over this case? How did they ever... you know what? Fuck it. I'll just sin." *ding

(Phoenix comments on Athena's dark circles) "Athena has no dark circles to speak of. She looks hot as ever." *ding

("They say he never conducts a trial without his loyal hawk Taka by his side") "As of this case, this is Blackquill's second time appearing in court wearing shackles. While true, this statement implies he prosecuted other cases that were not included in this game. And that is a sin." *ding

("The question is whether that soul is painted in black of white") "Or they could be Simon Blackquill, and painted in both." *ding

"TV phones. Is there any reason these people can't just get smartphones already? I don't think there is." *ding

("The Great Grief of the Great Thief") "Did DePlume write this book about Mask*DeMasque, or the Yatagarasu? I can never be sure on this one." *ding

"How does the hat stay on Orla's head underwater? Wouldn't it just float to the top?" *ding

"Word Mistress." *ding

"Incident x years ago is related to today cliche. For the second time this game." *ding

"Those people in the gallery are the stillest fucks imaginable. Was it really that hard to animate them occasionally moving? Or even slightly alter their appearances and seating arrangement each case? *ding

"Why did no one question how the victim entered the pool until now? Did they all just assume he was hanging out 65 feet underwater for no reason? Jack Shipley is secretly a merman. Discuss." *ding

(DePlume's breakdown) "Game does not give player full view of DePlume's wardrobe malfunction." *removes one sin

(Blackquill cuts Phoenix's hair) "This trick is awesome and all, but... how come it never got Apollo? He strikes in the same place for each person. Those horns should be gone." *half sin

"Marlon Rimes is the closest any character comes to swearing in this case. In an M-rated game." *ding

"Even more rapping." *ding

"Judge doesn't know what hip hop is by 2027, even though it's been around since the 1970's and would have existed when he was growing up. Is the judge older than we think he is? I can't tell, because he hasn't fucking aged since the first game. Is there ever gonna be a case that ends in his retirement? Because that would be an awesome finale." *ding

("Please refrain from scattering fish on the witness stand!") "But... why did he bring the fish to court? Did he have it sitting up in the gallery with him? Why are there no rules on what can and cannot be brought into the courtroom?" *ding

"Casually presenting hearsay as testimony. Also, Rimes gets away with it." *ding

"How does Sasha not know whether the crash or the scream came first? They were by no means immediately consecutive. As the security footage proves, they would have had to happen at least ten minutes apart for the prosecution to be correct. So this is some bullshit." *ding

"Also, is there any reason we can't call the guard as a witness? He might remember the sequence of events. Did Capcom just not want to design another character for this case? If that's the case, why even mention him?" *ding

(Orla's lifesaver trick) "This needed a cutscene." *ding

"Blackquill is tasered for not responding right away, despite the many times he does the same thing with no consequence." *ding

"Also, torturing prisoners." *five sins

"Updated autopsy report cliche." *ding

"How is the height of the fall so specific from examining the body? Is that a thing in autopsy reports? I don't think that's a thing in autopsy reports." *ding

"Game changes defendants halfway into the case, a la The Cosmic Turnabout and Turnabout for Tomorrow. If this case can be one episode, so can they." *ding

"Phoenix asks Apollo to clean the office, but when we come back, it looks the same as before. Apollo is bad at his job." *ding

"The police hand suspect's medicine to their lawyer for delivery after seizing it from her home, because fuck privacy. And the Fourth Amendment." *ding

"Hickfield Clinic is still open and serving patients. Hope they at least got rid of their fake doctor problem." *ding

(Dr. Crab) "This guy's hair is a literal bird's nest. Hilarious, but how does Sniper not get tangled up there? She is moving completely freely." *ding

"If DePlume is still investigating the incident from a year ago, why has she already published a book on it? Is she a nonfiction writer or a reporter?" *ding

(Norma DePlume singing) "This needed a musical cutscene." *ding

(Athena singing) "What is this, a musical? I know they already released three in Japan, but this is just rubbing it in our faces." *two sins

"Hasn't DePlume been coming to the aquarium frequently in the past year? How did she never learn about the songs being changed? I know they needed to set up a plot twist, but this is some bullshit." *ding

"Also, how did she get a hold of the aquarium's financial records? That doesn't sound legal." *ding

(Trucy pulls out the forensics kit) "Wait, so they're not gonna pull the white powder joke on Athena like they did on Apollo? Darn it. This game ignores all the Apollo Justice, even the good stuff." *ding

"What happened to Pearl's summer camp? She gets lost in the aquarium, questioned by the police, and... the group just leaves her there? That was their last event? I need answers to solve this case, goddammit." *ding

"Why is there a paper map at the bottom of the orca pool? And why is it intact? This never gets explained." *ding

(Pearl is eager to start "forensicking") "Pearl is so happy to be looking for blood, I almost mistook her for Ema. Which reminded me: Ema is not in this case." *ding

"Dr. Crab has time to be sarcastic in a medical emergency." *ding

"In order to operate the switch to move the hoist, you have to move Phoenix to the opposite end of the pool from said switch. Seems logical." *ding

"I just noticed the wanted poster advertising Marlon Rimes as a criminal. That is some subtle, well placed foreshadowing that I am genuinely willing to take a sin off for." *removes one sin

"Checking the vomit of an orca is in no way graphic. In an M-rating game, this unrealism grates on me more than it should." *ding

"Medicine capsule did not slightly dissolve in Orla's stomach even hours after ingestion. Does medicine not work how I think it does?" *ding

("But with orcas and dolphins, there can be communication of the heart.") "Just orcas and dolphins, though. No other animals. Damn, Athena is specist about her heart connections." *ding

"Athena entering the courtroom through an open ceiling was not included in the final version of this game. Even though the finale took place in a courtroom with no ceiling and she had the perfect opportunity." *ding

"Blackquill is allowed to investigate in person for this case. I'm not sinning it, but I am sinning the fact he wasn't allowed to do so for any other cases." *ding

"Game thinks allowing a seventeen year old who doesn't work for the aquarium feed the orca will be automatically accepted and lead to no problems whatsoever. Game is right, and that is a sin." *ding

"Blackquill asks Phoenix if he's really only in it for the money. This would have been an interesting question of character in another context, but shoving it here feels like it was cut from somewhere else, and just sticks out as odd. Sin for wasted potential." *ding

(Athena splashes Blackquill) "This scene." *removes one sin

"Game spends entirely too much time talking about awkward prints that really aren't that awkward in the first place." *ding

"Athena is entirely too excited to play the role of a sea slug. And now I'm having flashbacks to the disaster that was my elementary school play. Thanks, Athena." *ding

"Damn, mother penguin. You're the closest this case gets to a swearword, even when a character's brains are being pecked out. How do these people censor themselves so effectively? More importantly, why?" *ding

"Phoenix compares Dr. Crab and Rifle's fight to divorce court. Is he implying what I think he's implying? If so, that... gah!" *ding

"Dr. Crab asks the girl in a strange outfit to help him, and both Pearl and Athena seem to know which one of them he was referring to." *ding

"Dr. Crab acts like Azura's ex-boyfriend despite not being Azura's ex-boyfriend. Because we really needed a red herring for this reveal to be a surprise later." *ding

"Hiding illegal activity from lawyers only warrants two Psyche-Locks." *ding

"Between TORPEDO and PONCO, someone is entirely too fond of their supposedly clever acronyms." *ding

"Phoenix presents evidence to Dr. Crab while he's having a serious conversation on the phone. Phoenix is a dick to Dr. Crab." *ding

"How would one sleeping pill knock out a full grown orca? Those pills aren't that big, are they? Especially if their intended use is for humans." *ding

"Hickfield Clinic told Apollo about Azura's heart condition, because fuck patient confidentiality. Even for dead people, that's not legal." *ding

"Pearl is allowed to stay overnight at the aquarium with no resistance whatsoever." *ding

(In court) "Blackquill objects to the belittling of birds. I see he's trying to compete with Victor Kudo for the title of Ace Attorney's resident birdman. Good luck getting past those seeds." *ding

"Fully grown man admits to taking baths instead of showers." *ding

"Scene of inmates slipping and sliding on the bathroom tiles was not included in the final version of this DLC case." *ding

"Son of a gun." *ding

"Blackquill is waaay too excited to see Phoenix 'wield his sword'. Sure beats MY fanfiction." *ding

"Yeah, kick that witness stand! It really deserves it." *ding

"Marlon Rimes doesn't rap this testimony, which means it's bullshit." *ding

"Phoenix spends any time at all thinking about whether or not he will bluff about something." *ding

"Judge gets upset at Rimes for committing perjury in this universe. Did he forget that's not a crime in this world? All I'm saying is, I've never seen anyone punished for it." *ding

"Even Blackquill doesn't understand why casually lying witnesses are allowed to remain on the stand. But I'm wondering why he can't just dismiss the guy, or have his testimony discredited. Surely it's possible to throw testimony out in this universe, right? After all the bullshit these witnesses spew?" *ding

"'It isn't something I claim to understand... but you and Azura Summers were lovers, weren't you!' Sin for that not being in this game. Not even for Metis and Aura." *ding

(Rimes's transformation) "That's not possible, unless Rimes is the Hulk and Capcom forgot to tell me. Damn, when I told them this series needed an Avenger's crossover, this is not what I meant!" *ding

"How did he get that huge fish inside court? He clearly wasn't carrying it earlier, and the barrel contained steroids... or gamma rays." *ding

(Marlon starts eating the fish) "Sushi." *ding

"Rifle Ex Machina." *ding

(Rimes leaks blood like a fountain) "This animation." *ding

"Cross examining an orca. I mean, they could just get Dory. She speaks whale." *ding

"What are the odds that two orca trainers in a row at the same aquarium had the exact same heart condition? Astronomical, you say?" *ding

("My desire to protect my client was standing in the way of the truth") "This sentence was finally uttered in an Ace Attorney game... but not by any of the defense attorneys. Because the only way anyone in this century can get a guilty client is clearly by blackmail. This series avoids that sort of interesting like it's the plague, making this one of the only places the spinoffs have a leg up on them." *ding

(Dr. Crab clues Phoenix into the orca's song) "If you still need to foreshadow things in the eleventh hour of a case, you done fucked up. Just saying." *ding

"Orla's testimony. I pity the stenographer who got assigned this trial." *ding

("I demand serious witness testimony!") "Sorry Blackquill, but... you know you're in a DLC case, right? If it wasn't considered good enough for the main game even though it could fit, there's probably a reason why." *ding

"Franziska gets a single reference in this game, but not an appearance. Did she die in 2020 and no one told the players? Her not showing could make sense for this game, but it does not make sense for the next one, when Edgeworth is short on prosecutors and needs to call in help from other areas. There is no reason for Franziska to be cut from the main series three games in a row. None!" *sin on AJ:AA, DD, and SoJ

"Pearl is allowed to go through Rimes's phone for the trial without a warrant. Because fuck the Fourth Amendment." *ding

"Apps exist in this universe, but not smartphones. I don't care if Spirit of Justice rectifies this issue, I still want to make sure you know that." *ding

"Question: If the lifesaver trick had just been taught to Orla for the new show, why does Rimes have a video of Azura Summers teaching it to Ora? Are you telling me they had this "new trick" lying around for a year, and only now decided to use it for anything? Because if so, that is bullshit." *ding

"Orla's singing sounds nothing like the Swashbuckler Spectacular song. That mammal is tone deaf." *ding

(The Dissin' of Phoenix Wright.) "This testimony." *means to sin, but hits wrong button due to laughing. A sin is removed instead

"Phoenix Wright refuses to sing in this case, but in Spirit of Justice Episode One, he's a full member of the musical cast. What caused such a dramatic transformation over a nine month period?" *ding

"This breakdown is awesome." *removes one sin

"Moral of the story: always make your medical history known to your boyfriend and place of employment before training an orca. Or, if you have a heart condition, don't go into the trainer business or you'll die and come close to causing the death of two animals. Did I get all that right?" *ding

"Series that is obsessed with murder and the occasional suicide every episode sneaks in a story about accidental death. It's... actually, really refreshing." *removes a sin

"Redemption." *removes another sin

"Pearl's role in this games uses up all it's meaningfulness in the DLC case, leaving none for the main game." *ding

"Phoenix has had that fish in his pocket for two days. He must reek at this point. And his dry cleaner hates him." *ding

"Ending narration." *ding

"Why doesn't Ora get a hat, star, and mustache?" *ding

"DePlume has a new book out advocating for the aquarium in just a few months after the case? Someone writes fast." *ding

"Sniper has not aged a day in the few months since the case ended." *ding

Total Sin Tally: 130

Sentence: Walking the plank (with the flip flopper)

A/N's: Whoo hoo! I finally came back and did Turnabout Reclaimed! Thank you to those two reviewers (Mystic LionRoar and Psychochiken) who convinced me, I've been thinking about doing this ever since last year, when I finished Episode Five.

And now, as I said in that note I left for everyone, I need to pick another AA game to sin. But I don't know which one to start with. Let me know which game you want sinned next in the comments. The only one off limits, I've decided, is DGS. While I have watched an English sub on YouTube, I'm gonna need at least a fan translation in order to scrutinize the game on a CinemaSins level (which, as you've no doubt noticed, is very nitpicky). It doesn't feel right to criticize the game when I only have a rough translation of what's going on.

Everything else, however, even SoJ and AAI2, is fair game. Thanks for reading, leave your pick below, and I'll see you on the far side!