As the Ace Attorney series enjoys the name Turnabout Courtroom back in the Nippon, it's easy enough to see why the titles of the cases are all oriented about the central word of "turnabout": it's reinforcing the important theme of the screeching hairpins of argument and circumstance that hook around the courtroom floor.

Even if the titles are appropriate, though, they do have the unfortunate repercussion of leaving "Rise From the Ashes" terribly exposed - the only game in Phoenix's trilogy (and if "Turnabout Trump" in the upcoming GS4 is any indication, the entire series as a whole) that doesn't share the 'Turnabout' motif. My heart goes out in sympathy to poor, dejected, "Rise From the Ashes" - isolated, if not ostracised, from its brethren, it shuffles amongst the electronic wastes alone and apart; hardly a fate that seems fair for one of the longest and most intricate of the series' courtroom conundrums. In a gesture of solidarity with the scrapes and japes of Gant, the Skyes and the inimitable Meekins, then, I decided to conjure up some alternative titles for the original cases of Ace Attorney and Justice For All which would remove the 'Turnabout' qualifier while still remaining true to the spirits of the cases themselves:

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"The First Tunrnabout" - "OPENING STATEMENTS"

As well as forming our introduction into the long rip-roaring rollercoatser ride of legal legwork and brutal bickering of this series, opening statements are common practice amongst the barristers during a trial to summarise their perspective on the case.


"Turnabout Sisters" - "KEEPING THE FAITH"

It may not be obvious at first, but a title like this has several links to the nature of the case. The importance of otherworldly power in this episode establishes the spiritual theme, and it is something that needs to be maintained when the situation in this intense encounter becomes so dire, and the case against the defence so granitely invincible, and the attitude of the true villain so impregnably asserted that Phoenix himself finds himself driven down into the depths of the dock! As Phoenix Wright also strides forth as his own master from this point, we also see the steel with which he girds himself in readiness for the blows that he will endure in that quest to propogate justice - a foundation of trust and belief in the virtue of his client that is a touchstone for him throughout the series (so much so that it becomes a central plot point in "Farewell, my Turnabout").


"Turnabout Samurai" - "ENCORE, ENCORE!"

As well as being indicating the role of the witnesses in the business of acting (and its actual practice too, given the deception involving costumes in the case), this title is a darkly ironic pun of the actual crime itself: a disturbing reflection of the accident which began the whole sorry saga of bitterness and revenge.


"Turnabout Goodbyes" - "OUT OF MURKY DEPTHS"

This title is appropriate given that a greater part of the case is devoted to dredging forth uncomfortable - and confused - memories from the darkness of suppression and bringing the actuality of the myth and misrepresentation that they've been drowned by to light. The role of the legendary lake monster, Gourdy, is also significant in this case, establishing a more direct basis for the title.


"Rise From the Ashes" - "RISE FROM THE ASHES"

As the expression goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." ;)


"The Lost Turnabout" - "THE HARD SELL"

I will have to admit that I encountered some difficultly when conceiving of a title for this case. Initially I decided on "THE FIRST STONE", referencing the Biblical account, which would be an ironic name given that the true villain slings about aspersions (and fire extinguishers...!) with gay abandon and not a little arrogance. Accepting that this was a little too oblique (and even as much as I admire the Ace Attorney games, I wouldn't compare them to the Holy Scriptures!), though, I settled on "The Hard Sell" given the fact the villain's pretensions of being on 'perpetual sabbatical' are appallingly transparent, and also his actual life of sin as a con artist.


"Reunion, and Turnabout" - "FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE"

Raising the dead and compelling them to disgorge the secrets that have festered and mouldered underground is something that features quite prominently in this case. First we have the fateful channeling exercise at the start; the relation again to a past case and a whole drove of deaths; Ini Miney's impersonation of her deceased sister; and then the indirect role played by Ami Fey's remains in helping to resolve a conundrum in the case.


"Turnabout Big Top" - "SLEIGHT OF HAND"

Maximillon Galactica, the defendant, is a magician and throughout the entire case sheds cards like others would skin - he even introduces himself to Maya with a card trick. His "fabulous" personality is in and of itself a trick, a maskque slotted down to disguise his ever-so-'umble origins. The disgraceful deed of monstrous murder could also have been easily avoided if it weren't for the slip of the villain's own hands (and attention is drawn to his developed upper body during the trial) and the weapon's fall on an unintended victim.


"Farewell, my Turnabout" - "TIES THAT BIND"

Again, this is a statement of the theme whose veins are shot through the entire scenario. From Phoenix's caring for Maya and his desperation (and determination) to protect her, his moral wrangling over obligation and conscience concerning the defendant's actual guilt, Adrian Andrews finding her psychological rock in Celeste Inpax, the brusquely broken marriage which drove Inpax to suicide, the pathological rivalry between the two actors, and Shelley De Killer's honour code and observance of contracts.

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How do these sound? Can you think of any alternatives?

Last edited by Robert Frazer on Tue Mar 13, 2007 1:09 am, edited 2 times in total.

I'd say they're fairly good, though it'd probably be easier to change the outlier and not the majority; translating the name used for Game 1 Case 5 in Japan gives you "Turnabout Revival" (or "Revival Turnabout"). I assume they didn't use that in America as the term "Revival" would have made little sense to an English-speaking audience playing AA for the first time.

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In English, "Turnabout Revival" was "Rise From the Ashes".

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I say they should've left all the "turnabouts" as "gyakutens". It wouldnt've made much less sense to english speakers as "turnabout sisters" and "turnabout big top" makes no sense.

The other ones weren't broke :/

Well, I'd have to disagree, Danbo, otherwise I'd have seen no reason to create the thread in the first place! While they may be adequate (in the sense that every story needs some title or other) the "turnabout titles" as they stand do come across as a little contrived and, as Dangerous highlights, fairly perfunctory which say very little about the contents within. Perhaps that's not the title's business, but rather than limiting itself to the more obvious details of a case ("Turnabout Samurai" features a samurai? Really? My mind is blown - here I was labouring under the misapprehension that I'd be defending the Lord High President-Elect of the Penguin-Cougar Alliance! Will wonders never cease?) as the current titles do, I feel that renamed cases whose new titles relate more to the underlying themes of each episode would help to draw in the player's interest more.

Farewell, My Turnabout - A Matter of Trust

The whole case was all hinged on matters of trust.

Phoenix trusted Matt when he asked him if he killed Juan. He trusted De Killer to uphold his side of the deal to not kill Maya. De Killer trusted him to get the acquittal. Maya trusted Phoenix to save her...then trusted him to get that guilty verdict. Adrian trusted...well, whoever she could latch on to. Celeste, Celeste's memory, Franziska, then Phoenix and Edgeworth. And there was the trust between Phoenix and Edgeworth to find the truth and get the right result, the only result that would give everyone what they deserved.

And Matt....he didn't trust anyone. He was so mistrustful, he was willing to blackmail De Killer just in case. He was mistrustful of both Celeste and Juan that he killed over the suicide note. And he was someone no one could trust. He betrayed Celeste by telling Juan about their previous engagement and driving her to suicide. He betrayed Phoenix's trust by actually taunting him and pushing him to keep up the trial so he could get acquitted. God knows who else he betrayed.

The whole case was a matter of trust.

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As fairly good as some of your titles are, I think the "Turnabout" titles are a much better fit. Their recurring theme fits together much better, and they're not quite so... expected, for lack of a better word.


Besides, if you're going to have less interest in something from the title, you shouldn't be playing video games, reading books or anything of the sort. You know, "Can't judge a book by its cover" and such.

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To be honest, I kinda like how they have the "Turnabout" titles (not that I hate "Rise From the Ashes"), I feel like they should have used something else like "Case"

1-1 My First Case
1-2 The Sister Case
1-3 Case of Showbiz
1-4 Case of the Blues
1-5 Case of Rebirth
2-1 Case of Amnesia
2-2 Case of Emergency
2-3 Case at the Circus
2-4 Case of Delema

I'm sure I might have misspelled some things... or come up with better "Case" titles, but I'm not complaining about the "Turnabout" titles.

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Hmm, sorry Apeman, but I like the "Turnabout" titles better. Those are just...cheesy...

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I always liked Rise from the Ashes, it made Case 5 special to me. Not only is it a completely new case, but it's like Phoenix is a new person, and with a new sidekick. I feel that Capcom was right in naming it something different.

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'My First Case' sounds like one of those 'My First...' books. Man, they're awesome. Well, not really. But still...
Also, 2-1, Case of Amnesia?

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I like the Tournabout titles. It reminds me of old anime episode titles (like Slayers, where everything was: "SHOCK! I've lost my magic!?"). They're gimicky, but endearing. I'd rather have that than...kind of cliche.

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Yeah, I know they are because that's how I roll.

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It should have been Turnabout From The Ashes.

What?