Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is the first game in the series developed specifically for the DS (previous games were developed for the GBA then ported to the DS). The move to a more powerful system brings along with it a brighter, cleaner presentation. Characters are larger than in previous games and a little more animated. While the game still sticks mostly to stills, there are a few simple animated sequences that up the overall presentation. A few basic 3D elements have also made it into the game, namely the ability to rotate evidence in full 3D.

Similar to previous games, every character has their own themes that play while they are in action. A few familiar tracks are present, though there are also a number of new tracks. The new stuff blends in with the old stuff really well, so there isn't much of an awkward transition. There's also a limited amount of speech, mainly the game's now-famous cries of, "Objection!".

After three games, it was becoming harder to play the inexperienced lawyer bit with Phoenix, opening the door to the series' new star, Apollo Justice. The game also brings in a fresh-faced cast of new characters, including Apollo's mentor and a quirky female sidekick. Although the characters are a nice addition, they aren't nearly as memorable as casts from previous games. It almost feels like long-running shows that constantly swap out cast members with each season; you like the new guys, but they're not the old guys. A slate of old characters make appearances, including Phoenix (who gets to experience the legal system from a completely different view) and pushover lawyer, Winston Payne. Their inclusion is welcome, but it is the equivalent of Screech showing up on Saved by the Bell: The New Class. It is fun to see old friends, but the appearance feels more like a cheap novelty.

Although the cast is different, gameplay remains largely the same. The game is broken up into four cases, each a little longer and more puzzling than the last. You begin with a short introduction to the case, followed by the first day in court. Most of your time is spent examining and cross-examining witnesses on the stand, though you'll also spend a bit of time questioning witnesses outside of court and trying to uncover evidence that will help your case. As you present evidence and questions to witnesses, you'll have to figure out who is lying. Nearly every witness lies numerous times on the stand, so you'll have to press them until they cough up the right info. Sometimes a question is enough, though other times you'll have to present evidence. If you're right, the testimony proceeds; if you're wrong, you lose some of your chance bar and get another shot at the witness. If the chance bar is empty, however, you'll lose the case.

All four of the cases are interesting, though a few seem to drag at times, mostly because of a few nagging flaws that seem to pop up with each release in the series. It's worth it in the end; the final case is epic and even ties into the previous three cases.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney isn't overly difficult, but it has its issues. Cases play out like an interactive novel, which results in them being extremely linear, offering little room for creative thinking. Everything plays out like a combination puzzle; certain pieces of evidence have to be presented at certain times and in a certain order. Even if something else could just as easily be used as evidence, you are forced to use certain pieces of evidence. For instance, a witness claimed that the victim was strangled when, in fact, he was hit with a wine bottle. The wine bottle seemed like a great piece of evidence to present - especially after a big deal was made about it in previous testimony. However, that wasn't what I needed to present and I ended up losing one of my chances.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney adds a number of DS specific mechanics. Most of the new mechanics add a CSI element to the game; evidence can be rotated, sometimes revealing new bits of information that can help with your case. You can also dust for fingerprints or recreate crime scenes. The new mechanics are really cool and add a whole lot to the game. I wouldn't mind a game that focused on elements like this. However, these elements aren't used nearly as much as they could be.

Although Apollo loses some of Phoenix's mystical help, he retains Phoenix's ability to tell when someone is lying by using a magic bracelet. While questioning a witness, you can look for "tells" that indicate if they're lying or not. The idea behind the mechanic is neat, though it doesn't work that well. You have to zoom in on people to catch the twitch, which requires a bit of trial-and-error gameplay since the "tells" aren't always noticeable.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is one of those odd sequels that changes just enough to feel different while not changing that much at all. The game's new protagonist, cast of characters and four new cases might be enough for some players; at the same time, that might not be enough to hold players who were already losing interest after the third game.