Dai Gyakuten Saiban was announced in the most unassuming of ways: as a "new Ace Attorney project" in a Nintendo Direct, with no details save that it would be directed by Shu Takumi and be quite different from other games in the series. The theories flew hard and fast, but I don't think anyone expected a Meiji-era prequel. Nor a Sherlock Holmes crossover. Nor a Watson who was ten years old and had pink hair, but I digress.

A year and a half after that first tease, Dai Gyakuten Saiban releases in just a few hours in Japan. If you'd like to play the game immediately, you can purchase it now on the Japanese eShop and pre-load it; it'll be available to play as soon as the clock strikes midnight there, if not sooner. If you're waiting for localization news, or otherwise just can't play it - as always, C-R strives to provide coverage without spoilage. Stop by Baker Street to discuss the game and share your impressions, screens, or rips, and keep an eye out for more DGS news over the coming days and weeks.

Of course, the Japanese release isn't the be-all-end-all. DGS is shaping up to be a fresh new entry in the series, and it would be a terrible shame if Capcom USA and Capcom Europe didn't bring it over to the West. Now (as always) we encourage to make your voices heard - tweet to @Capcom_Unity, swing by their forums, awkwardly work #GAA4West into a Tumblr post - let Capcom (respectfully!) know that we'd love to see this game released worldwide.

That's more than enough introduction, I suppose. The game is afoot!

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