Unused content in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Written by: Dant Created: May 4, 2017 Updated: July 11, 2022

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In this series of articles I will try to list and describe all unused and cut content from GBA, NDS, 3DS and SW/PS4/XOne versions of the first Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney trilogy.

Here we will look into Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Things you will see below were, for the most part, discovered by me when I was fan-translating the first game, though there are things that were first uncovered by folks at court-records.net and tcrf.net (some unused sprites, music, etc.).

Unused English dialogs are from the game scripts, and since they are unused, they contain some spelling mistakes. Japanese dialogs are given for the sake of comparison.

Generally, most unused content mentioned here could be found in GBA, NDS and 3DS versions. There are exceptions thought, for instance, the GBA version does not feature unused English dialogs since it was released in Japan only. 3DS re-release has some unique unused graphics, not found in any other version.

This article contains spoilers.

2020.12.15 update: added one new entry to the Unused Animations section (Phoenix Wright (2)), one new entry to the Unused Sprite section (Phoenix Wright), added new info to the Miles Edgeworth and Maya Fey entries in the same section and removed one entry in the Unused Graphics (DS) section (turns out the tape icon appears when the CCTV footage video reaches its end).

2022.04.12 update: added one new entry to the Unused Graphics (DS) section (Early Fingerprint Minigame UI).

2022.07.11 update: added one new entry to the Unused Graphics (DS) section (Unused Lunchbox).

Unused Dialogs: Case 2, Day 1, Investigation

Dialog #1

Place: Mia's office.
Time: The beginning of the game, when Phoenix examines Mia's body and the crime scene.

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Phoenix: A portable safe. No way to tell how much is inside. I wonder if someone was trying to take it out?	Naruhodo: 手さげ金庫だ。 いくら入っているのかは わからない。 誰か持ち出そうとしたのだろうか。

Commentary: Although there is no safe to be found at that location in the final game, it was originally part of the background — it was situated to the right of the broken glass stand. It is not clear what part it played in the story — if any. This scene also has another unused image, see the "Unused Evidence — Portable Safe" and "Unused Graphics (3DS) — Portable Safe and Clock" sections for more information.

Dialog #2

Place: Outside Mia's office, where the player meets Gumshoe for the first time.
Time: The day after Mia had been murdered.

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Phoenix: The door to the chief's office. The police are in there searching for clues. I'd better not go in.	Naruhodo: 所長室へ通じるドアだ。 ドアの向こうでは、警官たちが 捜査をしているようだ。 ・・・・入らない方がいいな。

Commentary: It seems that originally, during the day when police investigated Fey & Co Law Offices, the player had access to the location outside Mia's office — the one that we see during the episode intro and where we meet Gumshoe for the first time. Judging from the text, Mia's office at that point was not accessible to the player — perhaps the whole conversation with Gumshoe occurred outside it.

Dialog #3

Place: Fey & Co Law Offices.
Time: The conversation with Gumshoe, after he gives the player "Maya's Cellphone".

Commentary: When you receive "Maya's Cellphone" you can present it to Gumshoe. Doing so will trigger the following text:

Regular Dialog

Phoenix: (Seems he didn't notice the recorded conversation...)

Basically, Phoenix repeats the last words he, em, "thought" after he received the cellphone. And that's it — the game switches back to the four-buttons-menu without a word from Gumshoe.

It seems the developers simply forgot to change the game logic to the following dialog, because there is no reason whatsoever to cut it:

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Phoenix: Detective Gumshoe? Could you take a look at this? Gumshoe: Huh? I already gave you the girl's cell phone, pal. Phoenix: (Right. I'll have to listen to that recorded conversation later.)	Naruhodo: 刑事さん・・・・ あの、これなんですけど・・・・。 Itonokogiri: なんスか？ 電話ならもう返したッス。 Naruhodo: (よし。後で録音された会話を 聞いてみよう・・・・)

Dialog #4

Place: Detention center.
Time: Before receiving Maya's Cellphone.

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Phoenix: About your cell phone... Maya: Yes. It has a recording of the conversation I had with my sister on it... Say... If I listened to that, I could hear my sister's voice again.	Naruhodo: 携帯電話のことだけど・・・・。 Mayoi: ああ・・・・。 あれには、お姉ちゃんと 話したことが録音されています。 そうか・・・・考えてみたら、 あれがあれば、またお姉ちゃんの 声が聞けるんだ・・・・。

Commentary: This dialog probably occurred when you showed Maya her memo. The final game has this dialog instead:

Regular Dialog

Phoenix: I wanted to ask you about your cell phone... Maya: That detective took it when they brought me in. Phoenix: (So, Gumshoe took it...) (I'll have to try to get it back next time I see him...)

Actually, it creates a contradiction. This dialog can occur before meeting Gumshoe at the office. When the player runs across him there, his name box has "???" instead of "Gumshoe", and after this the player is asked to choose the detective's name. Update: this error is fixed in the Japanese NDS version. When the game was ported to the NDS the scripts were updated, but it looks like the localization team received the older scripts from the GBA version.

Unused Dialogs: Case 2, Day 2, Court

Dialog #1

Place: District Court, Courtroom No. 1.
Time: When the player presses April May during her second cross-examination.

Commentary: The following unused dialog was supposed to occur during the second cross-examination of April May. It would engage after the player pressed her at this statement:

Regular Dialog

May: The victim--the woman--dodged the first attack and ran off to the right.

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Phoenix: Toward the exit? Edgeworth: Just look at the floor plan! The area that can be seen from the hotel is like... this. The killer was here. The victim was here. Now, if the victim were to move along the wall, toward the exit door...? Phoenix: Right... she would be going right. Judge: Indeed. Will the witness please tell the court what happened next?	Naruhodo: 出口の方へ？ Mitsurugi: 上面図を見てみたまえ。 ホテルから目撃できる エリアは、こんな感じだ。 犯人はここ、 被害者はここにいた。 被害者が壁ぞいに、出口のドアへ 向かったら・・・・？ Naruhodo: なるほど・・・・右・・・・か。 Judge: そうですね。 ・・・・証人？ それから、どうなりましたか？

In the final version the game uses this dialog instead:

Regular Dialog

Phoenix: Is that "right" as in your right, as you looked from the hotel? May: Um... which hand do I hold my knife in again...? Right! It was my right hand! Right? Edgeworth: Satisfied, Mr. Wright? Please continue.

Note that in the unused dialog the fact that Mia runs to the right is pointed out by Edgeworth.

In the final version of the game this contradiction is mentioned by Wright, and it is now part of the objection dialog that occurs during White's cross-examination on the following day, when you present the "May Testimony" evidence to him (the dialog is long, so below is just a relevant snippet):

Regular Dialog

Phoenix: Wait right there! Mr. White, you've dug your own grave! White: What is this!? Phoenix: You said the victim ran to the "left." But that directly contradicts Miss May's testimony! She clearly stated that the victim ran "right"! White: ...! Oh hoh hoh. It is simple. You have misheard her. Phoenix: I think not. Look at the floor plans... The killer was here. And the victim, here. If the victim ran to the left, as you claim she did... She would have been running directly away from the door! She would have been running into a dead end! Don't you find that odd?

Unused Dialogs: Case 2, Day 2, Investigation

Dialog #1

Place: Grossberg Law Offices.
Time: When the player returns to Grossberg Law Offices after obtaining White's photo.

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Phoenix: Those photos that were lying there are gone now. I guess Grossberg must have stopped in.	Naruhodo: さっきまであった写真が なくなっているな。 センセイ、ー度は 帰ってきたのかな・・・・。

Dialog #2

Place: Grossberg Law Offices.
Time: When you return to Grossberg Law Offices after obtaining White's photo.

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Phoenix: That photo that was lying there is gone now. Hmm... I wonder if someone noticed that one was missing?	Naruhodo: さっきまであった写真が なくなっている。 １枚、借りていること、 やっぱりバレてるのかな？

Commentary: In the final game the player sees only this commentary:

Regular Dialog

Phoenix: (*sigh* He's out again?) (Huh? No more photos on the desk...)

Unused Dialogs: Case 3, Day 1, Investigation

This script file is somewhat unique compared to other script files. All the unused dialogs, bar the Dialog #8, are grouped together in one section in the script. Actually, this is how dialogs from investigation parts are usually stored in game files: all text blocks related to a particular location and time are placed one after another, preceded by the time and the location name (displayed when you visit a location). And all the unused dialogs below belong to such sections.

Dialogs here depict the encounter with Gumshoe quite differently — basically they were scraped and rewritten from scratch. Who knows, maybe that's why some of the dialogs that could have worked in the game were omitted altogether.

Judging from all those unused dialogs, the story in this chapter (and possibly in the whole episode) would have had significant differences compared to the final game.

This section also contains a regular dialog from the final game, but the game uses its copy from another section instead.

I have managed to restore this early encounter, you can see most of the dialogs below in this video. Note that the question "Your name" is not used in the game. For more info see the "Unused Questions" section.

Dialog #1

Place: Outside Studio One (the road with the "Welcome" sign).
Time: When you talk to Gumshoe at that location.

Commentary: This dialog occurred when you met Gumshoe outside Studio One, and supposedly it was a separate question (those appear when you press the "Talk" button on the bottom screen).

Unused English Dialog

Unused Japanese Dialog

Maya: Um, Detective? What was your name again? Bobby, was it? Gumshoe: Dick Gumshoe, pal. Phoenix: Right, right! Dick Gumshoe! Maya: It's funny your name means what you do! Kind of like naming a custodian "Janitor"! Phoenix: Yeah, just like prosecutor "Edgeworth" sounds like a pretty sharp character. Still, I like "Gumshoe." It's got an old-fashioned ring to it. Gumshoe: ... Maya: Nick. He's not talking again. Phoenix: Did... I say something wrong? (Got to remember, Detective Gumshoe may have thick shoes, but he's got a thin skin.)

Mayoi: あの、あの、刑事さん。 名前、何でしたっけ。 たしか、ナニのこぎり、とか。 Itonokogiri: 自分はイトノコギリ、ッス。 Naruhodo: ああそう、イトノコギリ！ Mayoi: でも、なんか。そのズ一タイで イトノコギリ、もないですよね。 Naruhodo: それに、ミツルギ！ っていうと 切れ味が鋭そうだけど、 イトノコギリ・・・・。 なんか、ジミだよなあ。 Itonokogiri: ・・・・・・・・。 Mayoi: な、なるほどくん。 また、黙っちゃった。 Naruhodo: こ、今度はぼくが悪いのか？ (・・・・ちょっと、気をつけた 方がいいな・・・・)

I guess the developers just didn't like the jokes or the way the whole exchange sounded. And, as Rubia sad in her blog, the dialog breaks the 4th wall, so maybe they cut it because of that.

Dialog #2

Place: Outside Studio One (the road with the "Welcome" sign).
Time: When you talk to Gumshoe at that location.

Commentary: Judging from the text, it was the answer to the question "The investigation", just like in the final game:

Unused English Dialog

Unused Japanese Dialog

Phoenix: So, how is the police investigation going? Gumshoe: H-hey, pal! You know I can't tell you that! Maya: Nick... You might try being a little less direct about it... Gumshoe: I will tell you one thing, though. We have hard proof! Photographic evidence! Phoenix: Photographic evidence? Gumshoe: Yessir! A photo of the Steel Samurai heading toward the scene of the crime! Maya: What!? Who took that!? Gumshoe: The security lady gave it to me, pal. Phoenix: (Uh oh. That sounds like pretty solid evidence...) Maya: Nick, what does that mean for our case? Phoenix: Well, it's pretty bad, that's for sure! Only one person went to the crime scene before the murder. If they can prove that was Will Powers... well, that's a pretty convincing case! Maya: Mr. Powers didn't say anything about going there. Maybe he's lying to us?

Naruhodo: あの。今、そちらの 捜査は、どんな感じですか？ Itonokogiri: そ、そんなコト、 教えるワケにはいかないッス。 Mayoi: なるほどくん。 さすがに、そんなにストレ一トに 聞いてもダメなんじゃないかなあ。 Itonokogiri: でも、これだけは 教えてあげるッス。 こっちには、決定的な証拠写真が あるッス。 Naruhodo: 証拠写真？ Itonokogiri: そッス。 あのトノサマン野郎が、 現場に向かっている写真ッス。 Mayoi: え一っ。 ダレが撮ったんですか？ Itonokogiri: あの警備員からもらったッス。 Naruhodo: (う一ん、これは、かなり てごわい証拠になりそうだ・・・・) Mayoi: なるほどくん、 それって、そんなに不利なの？ Naruhodo: そりゃそうだよ。 事件が起こるまでに、現場に行った 人間は、１人しかいないんだ。 それが荷星さんだと立証されたら、 誰が考えたって犯人だよ。 Mayoi: 荷星さん、そんなこと ー言も言ってなかったのに・・・・。 あたしたちに、 ウソをついているのかなあ・・・・。

Note how Gumshoe says to Phoenix "Yessir!". In the final game the question remained the same, but the dialog itself changed a lot:

Regular Dialog

Phoenix: So, how is your investigation going, Detective? Gumshoe: Well, it's... Hey! I can't tell you that, pal. Maya: Nick... Maybe you need to be a little more indirect with your questions? Phoenix: Right. So, Detective, mind if I take a look at what you got? Gumshoe: What I got? Phoenix: The autopsy report! The latest version, if you please... Gumshoe: Hmm... right, right. Sorry about what happened last time, pal. Autopsy Report added to the Court Record.

In the retail game Gumshoe mentions the photo in another dialog, "Decisive evidence":

Regular Dialog

Phoenix: What kind of evidence!? Gumshoe: Well, that, er, photo. The photo of the Steel Samurai heading toward the scene of the crime! Maya: What! Who took that!? Gumshoe: See the camera up on that gate, pal? Maya: The gate? You mean the one with the welcome sign? Gumshoe: Yeah. Whenever someone walks by, that camera automatically snaps a photo of them! Maya: Oh no! Nick, he has evidence! We're finished! Phoenix: (Funny, for someone with hard proof he doesn't look too happy.) Gumshoe: ...

Dialog #3

Place: Outside Studio One (the road with the "Welcome" sign).
Time: When you talk to Gumshoe at that location.

Commentary: This one was also a question to Gumshoe:

Unused English Dialog

Unused Japanese Dialog

Maya: Will Edgeworth be the prosecuting attorney for this case, too? Gumshoe: You bet, pal! Phoenix: (Ugh. Not again.) (I'm cursed.) Maya: Nick, that reminds me. I was wondering something during the last trial. You know Edgeworth from before, don't you? Gumshoe: Yeah! I was wondering the same thing, pal. Phoenix: Well, kind of, not really... Maya: He's acting suspicious! Wouldn't you agree, Detective? Gumshoe: Suspicious alright! I feel an arrest coming on! Phoenix: (I have the right to remain silent!)

Mayoi: 今度の事件も、御剣検事が 担当するんですか？ Itonokogiri: その通りッス。 Naruhodo: (うわあ、またアイツと やり合うのか・・・・) (なんか、宿命みたいなものを 感じるよ・・・・) Mayoi: そういえば、なるほどくん。 この前の裁判で思ったんだけど、 なるほどくんて、 御剣検事と知り合いなの？ Itonokogiri: それッス。 自分も気になっていたッス！ Naruhodo: え、い、いや、別に・・・・。 Mayoi: アヤシイなあ。 ねえ、刑事さん。 Itonokogiri: ことと次第によっては、 タイホもありうるッスよ。 Naruhodo: (・・・・黙秘！)

The omission of this dialog is pretty strange. Either they forgot to add it back to the new script block or they didn't want to reveal who was going to be the player's opponent in that case.

Dialog #4

Place: Outside Studio One (the road with the "Welcome" sign).
Time: When you talk to Gumshoe at that location.

Commentary: It is not clear whether this dialog was a separate question or it occurred when the player investigated the location. In the script file the cut dialog is placed between the other two deleted questions, so it is highly likely that originally it was a question:

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Maya: Say, Detective. Do you know what's further down this path? Gumshoe: I do, but you can't go there. I can't go either, actually. Some of the big wigs from the precinct are plotting. They're working out a strategy for the trial tomorrow, see?	Mayoi: ねえねえ刑事さん。 その道の先には、 何があるんですか？ Itonokogiri: この先は、ダメッス。 自分が通さないッス。 警察のエラい人たちが、 明日の法廷に向けて、 対策を練ってるッス。

Note the "see" in Gumshoe's speech. In the final game a similar dialog flows like this (it engages when the player examines the road that leads to Studio Two):

Regular Dialog

Phoenix: Detective Gumshoe, what's down the path to the left? It looks like a tree fell down over the path...? Gumshoe: Oh, yeah. That way's kind of dangerous. You should stay out, pal. There's nothing down there, anyway. That's where Studio Two used to be, they tell me. They don't use it now, though.

It seems that in the early version that road led to some place other than Studio Two.

Dialog #5

Place: Studio One Entrance (the road with the "Welcome" sign).
Time: Upon examining an old signpost (in the final game it would be replaced by the Monkey mascot).

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Phoenix: It's an old signpost. "Right: To Studio One Left: To Studio Two"	Naruhodo: ずいぶん古いみちしるべだ。 《右 ・・・・ 第１撮影スタジオ 左 ・・・・ 第２撮影スタジオ》

Commentary: It seems that in the early version there was no mascot, at least at that location. Instead there was just "an old signpost". In the final game this dialog was replaced by a longer one:

Regular Dialog

Phoenix: The studio mascot. I guess it's a monkey of some kind. But what kind of monkey has a nose like that? He's holding a sign in his hand. "Right: To Studio One Left: To Studio Two" Maya: What's up with that thing!? It looks kind of... busted. Gumshoe: Oh, the wind was pretty strong yesterday, and the head broke off. It took that tree down with it, too.

And if there was no Monkey mascot it means its head didn't block the path between Studio Two and Studio One... which in turn means the whole story in this episode might have been much different than in the final game — the fact that the road is blocked affects the whole case.

Dialog #6

Place: Outside Studio One (the road with the "Welcome" sign).
Time: When the player examines something behind Gumshoe.

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Phoenix: I can't see anything with Detective Gumshoe in the way.	Naruhodo: 刑事さんがジャマをして 奥の方は見えない。

Commentary: As far as I know, in the Ace Attorney series characters cannot physically block the player from examining a location. Funny that Gumshoe indeed blocks the crime scene, albeit in Case 2 (see the "Trivia" section, although it's just an oversight... but still).

Dialog #7

Place: Outside Studio One (the road with the "Welcome" sign).
Time: Upon examining an infrared sensor (replaced by a security camera in the final game).

Commentary: Ever wondered how the security camera was able to snap the photos of those who passed through the gates at Global Studios? Well, originally the security camera was meant to be an infrared sensor:

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Phoenix: An infrared sensor. This counts the number of people who have gone in and out of the studio. The data is probably stored someplace else. There's a number on the sensor. "ST1-CNT"	Naruhodo: このスタジオに出入りした スタッフの人数を記録するための、 赤外線カウンタ一装置だ。 デ一タは、どこか別の場所で 記録されているのだろう。 装置に、プレ一トが貼ってある。 《ＳＴ１―ＣＮＴ.》

It appears the infrared sensor had the "ST1-CNT" number. Compare it to the final dialog:

Regular Dialog

Phoenix: Hey, there's a camera here. Gumshoe: That's the security camera. It takes photos of people going to the studio. All you have to do is look at the data and you can see who went where! Phoenix: There's a number plate on the camera... "ST1-307". That must be the camera ID number.

Dialog #8

Place: Global Studios — Main Gate
Time: After the player uses the guard station computer.

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Phoenix: The computer that runs the studio security cameras. No point fiddling with this any more. We have all the data from the day of the murder.	Naruhodo: 撮影所内のセキュリティカメラの 映像を管理するコンピュ一タだ。 事件当日のデ一タはいただいたし、 もう操作する必要はないな。

Commentary: This text would kick in upon examining the computer at the studio entrance. It suggests that originally the chapter continued after the main characters had obtained some "data" — in the final game it ends right after they get the security camera photo with Steel Samurai. Note the word "data": most definitely, it wasn't the photo Gumshoe was talking about in Dialog #2, since the security camera is never mentioned in the deleted dialogs. Exactly what it was remains unknown.

Dialog #9

Place: Outside Studio One (the road with the "Welcome" sign).
Time: When you present Gumshoe any non-relevant evidence.

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Gumshoe: Sorry pal, I got no information for you.	Itonokogiri: ・・・・そんなものをつきつけられても 困るッス。

Commentary: In the final version his reaction is different:

Regular Dialog

Phoenix: Um, Detective. Any ideas about this? Gumshoe: Look, I don't got time to look at every little trinket you got, okay pal?

Unused Dialogs: Case 3, Day 2, Investigation

Dialog #1

Place: Studio — Main Gate.
Time: When the player examines the guard post after the rattle in the trailer.

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Phoenix: The security guard station. I can see the computer that runs the security cameras. Penny: Oh, please don't touch anything in there. The security lady would knock the stuffing out of me if she knew. Phoenix: (I really want the key to that trailer...) (Maybe next time...)	Naruhodo: 警備員たちの詰所だ。 セキュリティを管理する コンピュータが見える。 Yumiko: あ。詰所の中のものには、 手を触れないでください。 私、あのオバチャンに ハリ倒されてしまいますから。 Naruhodo: (コテージのカギを 借りたいんだけど・・・・) (どうも、今はムリみたいだな)

Commentary: The game contains two instances of the dialog above — one is used and another is not; the only difference between them is the addition of this last line:

Additional Unused Line

Phoenix: (I really want the key to that trailer...) (Maybe next time...)

This dialog occurred when the player examined the guard station after the main characters had heard a noise in the trailer. As you can see, the last line reflects that event, yet in the final game this dialog is not used. The most surprising thing is it was specifically added for the DS re-release, yet the English version doesn't use it. So, this is another oversight from the developers, I guess (I wonder if the Japanese version uses it).

Dialog #2

Place: Employee area.
Time: When the player examines the drain with channeled Mia.

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Mia: This is the drain where Cody came in, right? Phoenix: Right. Mia: My, what a rambunctious lad. Phoenix: ("Rambunctious lad"? Do the dead all speak like that?")	Chihiro: 九太くん、ここから入って きたんでしょう？ Naruhodo: そうですよ。 Chihiro: いいわね、男の子は。 やんちゃで。 Naruhodo: (“やんちゃ”って、 ひさしぶりに聞いたな・・・・)

Commentary: Once again it's probably another instance of oversight. In the final game we get the same observation Phoenix does when he is followed by Maya:

Regular Dialog

Phoenix: The drain where the fanboy came in. He didn't waste any time coming in, either. Talk about cause and effect.

It seems like a trend at this point — I mean, so many legitimate dialogs were omitted, either due to bugs or developers' oversight.

Unused Dialogs: Case 4, Day 1, Investigation

Dialog #1

Place: Gourd Lake Park entrance.
Time: The first meeting with Gumshoe.

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Gumshoe: Er, sorry. Gumshoe: I'm too busy with this investigation for small talk.	Itonokogiri: 悪いッスが‥‥、 Itonokogiri: それは事件にはカンケイ なさそうッスね。

Commentary: This reply was meant to occur when the player showed Gumshoe some non-relevant evidence upon their first encounter in Case 4, but since the player has only the Attorney's badge (which has its own unique dialog) at that point in time, and Gumshoe promptly leaves afterwards, it goes unused. It must be noted that the player does meet Gumshoe later in the game, but instead of this reply we get a completely new one.

Unused Dialogs: Case 4, Day 2, Investigation

Dialog #1

Place: Caretaker's Shack.
Time: When the player presented the "Safe" evidence which was later cut to the Old Man.

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Oldman: Just so's you know, there isn't any money in that there safe. Maya: Nick! No money! Phoenix: Don't look so disappointed...	Oldman: 言っとくが、カネなんか 入ってないよ。 Mayoi: 入ってないって。 おカネ。 Naruhodo: なんで残念そうなカオ するんだよ・・・・。

Commentary: Originally the Old Man's safe was an obtainable evidence, and this conversation occurred when the player showed it to him. The "Safe" evidence is mentioned in the "Unused Evidence" section.

Unused Dialogs: Case 4, Day 3, Court

Dialog #1

Place: District Court, Courtroom No. 3.
Time: When the player objects to Larry's statement during his first cross-examination.

Commentary: Originally, the following statement...

Regular Dialog

Larry: I looked out over the lake, but I didn't notice the boat.

...activated the following "fake" objection dialog, supposedly triggered by the "Lake Photo" evidence (I've depicted it in this video):

Unused English Dialog

Unused Japanese Dialog

Phoenix: Are you sure there wasn't a boat on the lake? Look at this picture, Larry! There was a boat on the lake when the gun fired! Judge: It's true. Well, Mr. Butz? Larry: W-well, that's great you got a photo and all, but... I wasn't really paying that much attention when I looked out over the lake, okay? I'm not saying there "wasn't" a boat, just I didn't see one. von Karma: Correct! The defense has pointed out a vague statement, not a contradiction! Judge: Hmm... Judge: Indeed. Mr. Butz, you may continue your testimony. Phoenix: (Dammit! I thought I was on to something there!) Maya: It's okay Nick, we'll find another contradiction... Phoenix: Yeah, you're right.

Naruhodo: 湖に、ボ一トはなかった・・・・ しかし、この写真を 見てください！ 銃声があったとき、 ボ一トはあったんですよ！ Judge: そのとおりですね。 ・・・・いかがですか？ 証人・・・・。 Yahari: い、いや・・・・。 そんなこと言われてもなあ。 オレ、そんなに注意して 湖を見ていたワケじゃないし、 ボ一トが“なかった”とは 断言してねぇぜ。 Karuma: そのとおり。 弁護人の指摘は、 ムジュン点とは言えない！ Judge: ・・・・ふむう・・・・。 Judge: そうですね。 証人。・・・・証言に もどってください。 Naruhodo: (くそ！ シッパイか・・・・) Mayoi: なるほどくん。・・・・別のムジュンを 探してみようよ。 Naruhodo: そうだね・・・・。

As you can see, it was sort of a red herring. If I recall correctly, this trick is rarely used in the main series. Most likely the developers decided to ditch it because they didn't want to confuse the player. Or it is just another bug/oversight...

Unused Dialogs: Case 5, Day 2, Investigation

Three dialogs in this section are early versions of the regular dialogs that appear in the game, but it is only true for the English script — in the Japanese script there are no differences between them. By looking at the English dialogs it becomes clear that they are not an early translation attempt — there are some crucial differences between the unused and regular dialogs. I guess, the Japanese script file was changed after it had been sent to the translation team. Because of it a regular English dialog will be given for comparison instead.

Dialog #1

Place: The Evidence Room.
Time: When the player sprays Marshall's locker with luminol.

Early English Dialog

Regular English Dialog

Ema: Hey! A reaction! Phoenix: If the criminal was running away normally, you wouldn't think they'd touch here... (This could be a big clue!) Gumshoe: Hey, pal... Wow! That's some stuff you got there! Ema: Oh, this? It's called Luminol Testing Fluid! Gumshoe: Where do they sell that?? Where!? Ema: Huh? Gumshoe: I want to buy some, too! I'll go borrow $50 from the Chief and buy some now! Phoenix: So, where do they sell it? Ema: Well, I always order mine through magazine offers... Phoenix: (Let's mark this spot on the floor plans, shall we?)

Ema: ...! Why am I getting a reaction here? Phoenix: There's no reason for the murderer to touch this spot if he fled out the door. (This just might be something significant!) Gumshoe: Hey... That's some pretty amazing stuff you got there, pal! Ema: What, this? It's called "Luminol Testing Fluid"! Gumshoe: Where'd you get your hands on that!? Ema: Huh? Gumshoe: I'd like to get some too! I'll just borrow 50 bucks from the Chief! Phoenix: Where do you get this, Ema? Ema: I always buy it by mail order. Phoenix: (Well, I'd better jot this down on the floor plans.)

Dialog #2

Place: The Evidence Room.
Time: When the player sprays Gumshoe's locker with luminol.

Early English Dialog

Regular English Dialog

Ema: Ah hah! Look! It's a handprint! Someone's right hand touched here! Gumshoe: Whaaaaaaaaaat!? Phoenix: What? Gumshoe: This... this locker! This is mine! Ema: This is your evidence locker, Detective Gumshoe? Gumshoe: Hey, pal!When they... When they arrest me I want you to do me a favor, okay? I want you to testify for me, pal! Tell 'em I was the kind of guy everyone liked! Phoenix: (This is a major clue! Let's mark the position on our floor plans.) Gumshoe: You can't trust those police! You'll testify for me, right? Ema: But, you're a police officer, too, Detective Gumshoe!

Ema: I knew it! This is someone's right handprint! Gumshoe: WHAAAAAAT!!? Phoenix: What's the matter, Detective? Gumshoe: Th-this locker... It's mine! Ema: It's yours? Gumshoe: Please! You have to help me... When they come to take me away... Promise you'll testify that I wouldn't harm a fly! You'll do that for me, won't you, pals!? Phoenix: (This is an important clue! I'll jot it down on the floor plans...) Gumshoe: I'm counting on you guys! Believe me, you can't trust the police! Ema: What? But you're a detective!

Dialog #3

Place: The Evidence Room.
Time: When the player sprays the area near the broken vase shards.

Early English Dialog

Regular English Dialog

Phoenix: Someone lost a lot of blood here. (I've never seen anything like this!) What's your opinion, Detective Gumshoe? I'm kind of an amateur in this field... Gumshoe: Well... The blood does look a little bluish. Maybe, just maybe... Detective Goodman was an alien!? Ema: Whatever the case may be, it does look like the murder happened here. Phoenix: Let's mark it on the floor plans. Gumshoe: So that's it, huh? You're just going to ignore my deductions!?

Phoenix: There must have been a massive amount of blood here. (I've never seen so much before...) I'm not a professional. What's your opinion, Detective? Gumshoe: Hmm... Pale blue blood... Maybe Detective Goodman... was actually an alien? Ema: This proves that something really happened in front of this locker. Phoenix: I'll make a note of it on the floor plans. Gumshoe: Hey! If you didn't want my opinion, you shouldn't have asked!

Unused Dialogs: Case 5, Day 3, Investigation

Dialog #1

Place: Gant's Office.
Time: When the player examines a piece of paper found inside Gant's table.

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Phoenix: What? (Something's scribbled here on the back of the list!) Gumshoe: What is it? Did you find something!? Phoenix: (It looks like some sort of picture. I'd better keep quiet about this for now...) No, it's nothing. Ema: Why are you sweating, Mr. Wright? Phoenix: (I'd better not forget about this picture!)	Naruhodo: な、なんだ・・・・？ (リストのウラに、ラクガキが！) Itonokogiri: ん？ なんスか。 なんかあったッスか！ Naruhodo: (なんとも判断しにくい絵だけど ・・・・今は、ヒミツにしておこう) い、いえ。なんでもありません。 Akane: 成歩堂さん、目が泳いでる・・・・ Naruhodo: (この絵のコト・・・・ 覚えておいたほうがいいな！)

Commentary: This is an early version of the dialog that appears in the final game:

Regular Dialog

Phoenix: I wonder what this is? (It looks like someone drew some kind of sketch here!) Ema: What is it? Did you find something? Phoenix: (I can't make it out. I'd better keep quiet about it for now.) Huh? Oh. No, it's nothing. Ema: Why are your eyes moving about like that, Mr. Wright? Phoenix: (I'd better not forget about this picture!)

Note that in the unused dialog Gumshoe had a line, while in the final version he was replaced by Ema, but the line itself remained the same.

Unused Dialogs during 3D Evidence examination

Just a small note: there are two types of 3D Evidence dialogs: the first one engages when Phoenix is with Ema and the other when he is alone. Both types of dialogs occur when the player examines any evidence in 3D mode in Case 5. Since the player can do this anywhere and at any time during Case 5, there is no need to mention the place and, well, the time.

Dialog #1

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Phoenix: He's wearing a really nervous smile in this picture. At least for once he's got a clean-shaven face.	Naruhodo: キンチョ一のあまり、 エガオがひきつっている。 めずらしく、ヒゲがつるつるに そり上げられている。

Commentary: This dialog was meant to occur when the player examined Gumshoe's ID card without Ema. In the final game the player has his card for a short period of time, and since Ema never leaves Phoenix while he has the card, it is not possible to activate this dialog.

Dialog #2

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Ema: This tape has a label on it. Phoenix: Let me see. Maybe it lists the time it was recorded. Ema: "Hackoholics Anonymous: Twelve Steps to Recovery" Phoenix: ... Ema: They must have recorded over an old tape. Phoenix: Yeah, but this evidence is from the police department! Ema: Why would they have a tape like that anyway? Phoenix: Let's just hope they got it off a criminal.	Akane: ビデオテ一プにラベルが 貼ってありますね。 Naruhodo: どれどれ。記録した時間なんかが 書かれているんじゃないかな。 Akane: 《永久保存版！ 湯ケムリ紀行・旅まみれ》 Naruhodo: ・・・・・・・・・・・・ Akane: 新しいテ一プが なかったんですね、きっと。 Naruhodo: そ。それにしても、 警察が提出した証拠だぞ！ Akane: 《永久保存版》がつく番組って、 ロクなモノがないですからね一。 Naruhodo: ・・・・なんか、急に 旅に出たくなってきたよ。

Commentary: Originally the player could examine the tape with the security footage of the Evidence Room in 3D — it's model and texture can be found in the game files (see the "Unused 3D Models" section). In the final game the developers either forgot to activate it or intentionally disabled it.

Dialog #3

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Phoenix: "Hackoholics Anonymous: Twelve Steps to Recovery" I wonder what the 12 steps are...?	Naruhodo: 《永久保存版！ 湯ケムリ紀行・旅まみれ》 この事件が解決したら、 温泉でも行ってみようか。

Commentary: This description of the tape occurred when Ema was not with Phoenix.

Dialog #4

Unused English Dialog	Unused Japanese Dialog
Ema: This is a bloodstain, isn't it? Phoenix: Yeah. It was probably left behind from the switchblade. Are you absolutely sure this is your sister's muffler? Ema: Yes... Phoenix: (So she really did hide the knife.) Phoenix: (But why...?)	Akane: これ・・・ 血のアト、ですよね？ Naruhodo: 飛び出しナイフから 付着したんだろうね。 このマフラ一・・・・ まちがいなく、 ともえさんのモノ、なの？ Akane: は、はい・・・・ Naruhodo: (やはり・・・・このナイフを かくしたのは、彼女のようだ) Naruhodo: (いったい、なぜ・・・・？)

Commentary: This dialog occurred when the player examined Lana's muffler (scarf) in 3D, which was later removed from the game (see the "Unused 3D Models" section).

Missing text in the English version

For some unknown reason every English version of the game, with the exception of iOS and Java2ME ports, is missing the following lines at the beginning of the first case (asterix indicates a removed line):

English Dialog

Japanese Dialog

Mia: Whew, I'm glad I made it on time. (*)So, this is it... your first trial! Phoenix: (*)I-i haven't been this nervous since we did s-student trials back in high school![1] Mia: (*)Well, it's about time you got back into the swing of things, then! Phoenix: (*)Yeah... I... I guess you're right! (*)Y'know, Chief... (*)I'm sorry you had to come all the way down here today on my account... Mia: (*)Not at all, Phoenix! I wouldn't miss your debut for the world.[2] Mia: Still, I'm impressed! (j2ME) Well, I have to say Phoenix, I'm impressed! (DS/iOS/etc.)[3] Not everyone takes on a murder trial right off the bat like this.

Chihiro: ふう。 なんとか、間にあったわね。 どうかしら？　初めての法廷は。 Naruhodo: こ、こんなにドキドキするの、 小学校の学級裁判のとき以来です。 Chihiro: ‥‥それはそれは。 ずいぶん、ごぶさたしてるのね。 Naruhodo: え、ええ、まあ。 あの‥‥所長。 今日は、すみません。 いそがしいのに‥‥。 Chihiro: ううん、かまわないわ。 カワイイ部下の初舞台だもの。 Chihiro: ‥‥それにしても。 初めての法廷で殺人事件をあつかう なんて、すごい度胸ね。

Note 1: this line is a mistranslation: actually, Phoenix talks about his junior school trial with Edgeworth and Larry.
Note 2: this line is still missing in the iOS port.
Note 3: this line has different translations between several versions. The iOS port uses the DS translation.

English Dialog	Japanese Dialog
Phoenix: My name is Phoenix Wright. (*)I passed the bar three months ago. Today is my first trial.[4] Here's the story: My first case is a fairly simple one.	Naruhodo: ぼくの名前は成歩堂　龍一 （なるほどうりゅういち）。 ３ヶ月前に弁護士になったばかり。 今日は初めての法廷だ。 さて。 今回の事件は、 いたってシンプル。

Note 4: this line is still missing in the iOS port.

The reason those lines appear only in Java2ME and iOS ports (see the Java2ME Port section for more info) is due to the fact that all the script files for these versions were completely redone from scratch (that is why the iOS port has so many typos and still has some missing text), while all other versions used the DS scripts as the basis.

Despite the fact the all the European localizations are derived from the English translation, they still retain all the missing lines.

Missing text in the Japanese version

The following Japanese lines that appear after Phoenix accuses Karma of murder in Case 4 were present in the GBA version, but were removed in subsequent ports starting from the DS re-release (asterix indicates a removed line):

English Dialog	Japanese Dialog
Karma: ... Judge: ... ... Judge: You mean, THE von Karma? The prosecutor? Sitting right there? Karma: Bah. Judge: You... don't object? Karma: Hmph. I see no need. Why honor this ridiculous outburst with my objection? Phoenix: Because you took a vacation for several months starting the day after the incident!	Karuma: (*)・・・・・・・・ Judge: (*)・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ (*)・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ Judge: (*)あ、あの・・・・狩魔検事？ Karuma: (*)なんだ。 Judge: (*)反論は・・・・なさらないんですか？ Karuma: (*)・・・・・・・・フン。 (*)その必要はあるまい。 ・・・・くだらん、言いがかりだ。 Naruhodo: 事件の翌日から数ヶ月、 あなたは休暇をとっている！

They were left in the English version though. It is another telltale sign that the English localization is based on the original GBA scripts, rather then the updated DS ones (see the Trivia section).

Unused Evidence

In the Japanese version of Ace Attorney for Nintendo DS/3DS each item in the Court Record is comprised of two icons and two separate boxes (images) that contain caption/age and description data respectively.

In the English version icons and captions are stored in the same way, but due to the fact that English text requires more space, descriptions got completely new boxes, while the original description boxes where repurposed to contain the age data and additional info not found in the Japanese version.

Items that only appear on the upper screen have the smaller versions of their icons too (smaller icons are only used to represent evidence in the Court Record), but they were never meant to be used actually: the developers just batch converted all big icons into the smaller ones and never bothered to remove them afterwards.

Case 2 — Portable Safe

Caption (JAP), Description (JAP):

Commentary: Most likely those are the remnants of the Portable Safe evidence mentioned in the "Unused Dialogs: Case 2, Day 1, Investigation" and "Unused Graphics (3DS) — Portable Safe and Clock" sections.

Do not confuse it with a similar evidence from Case 4 (see below): this one uses kanji, while that one is written in katakana.

This caption has no English translation in the DS and 3DS versions, but in the Trilogy HD re-release it was translated as "safe".

Case 3 — Empty Steak Plate

Caption (JAP), Description (JAP), Small Icon (not used):

Commentary: Quite possibly, in the earlier drafts of the script the player could obtain the Empty Steak Plate from outside the trailer in addition to the Steak Plate from the Employee Area.

This caption has no English translation in the DS and 3DS versions, but in the Trilogy HD re-release it was translated as "Steak Plate", which is a clear mistranslation.

Case 4 — Safe

Caption (ENG/JAP):

Big/Small Icon (used/not used):

Description (ENG/JAP):

Commentary: Originally the Old Man's safe was an obtainable item. Judging from this description, by that point in the story the main characters had already known the code of the safe. Although the evidence has been cut, its big icon remained in use.

The Japanese name of this item uses katakana, probably to differentiate it from the above mentioned Case 2 Portable Safe, which had the same name, but was written in kanji instead.

The game script contains an unused dialog related to this evidence (see the "Unused Dialogs: Case 4, Day 2, Investigation" section).

Case 4 — Angry Missile

Caption/Description (JAP), Small Icon (not used):

Commentary: This caption could only be found in the GBA version. It refers to the icon where Missile has her angry look.

Case 5 — Contradiction Award

Caption (ENG/JAP):

Commentary: In the DS version all evidence have two captions: for the upper and bottom screens respectively. The English "Contradiction Award" title is only found among the upper screen captions.

Most likely it is the original name of the "King of Prosecutors" trophy. In the Japanese version it is called "Kenji of the Year" (kenji — prosecutor). In the English version they localized it as "King of Prosecutors" in order to explain the "K" letter on the trophy. Later in the story Edgeworth explains why the trophy consists of a shield and a halberd (actually it is a spear, don't know why they mistranslated it as halberd). It is revealed that it symbolizes a "contradiction". A fitting name for this trophy.

Case 5 — Transferal Request

Caption (ENG/JAP):

Description (ENG/JAP):

Note: The description graphics is already misaligned, it is not due to incorrect extraction.

Commentary: It seems this was an earlier version of the Goodman's Lost Item Report evidence. Apparently it was also viewable by the player.

Dummy Icons

The big and small dummy icons from Case 5 containing the word 血痕 (Bloodstain) — see the "Trivia" section.

Unused 3D Models

The screenshots of the unused 3D models were taken from Ace Attorney Trilogy (3DS), while textures were extracted from the DS version. The 3DS re-release uses 3D models and textures taken directly from the DS version. And while the 3D models faired fine, due to the image format used by the Trilogy re-release, the textures became ridden with horrible compression artifacts. This is why the textures below are from the DS version.

Lana's Muffler

Note: for some reason the DS version contains two instances of the muffler texture.

Note 2: this evidence has no caption graphics, but in the game it is referred to as Lana's muffler or simply muffler/scarf.

Commentary: The game contains an unused 3D model of Lana's muffler. It has three additional images: two big icons for the top and bottom screens (they are the same) and a small icon for the Court Record menu — only the top screen icon is used in the final game.

The muffler has a bloody spot on its inner side that probably activated the above mentioned dialog.

I guess, the player received this evidence alongside the "Switchblade Knife" brought by Gant, and since it served no purpose further in the story the developers decided to remove it.

There is also a corresponding dialog related to this item — see the "Unused Dialogs during 3D Evidence examination" section.

Security Video

Commentary: Originally it was possible to examine the tape with the security camera footage in 3D mode. It had two related dialogs (see here and here). In the final game it is only possible to view the corresponding video.

SL-9 Incident Files

Note: the 3D objects below are from another set of files, but they are part of the main 3D model since they all share the same set of textures.

Commentary: It seems the "SL-9 Incident Files" evidence had its own 3D model. In the final version the player can only read the summary of the SL-9 incident. It must be noted that the overall look of the 3D model varies from the evidence icon used in the final game:

As you can see, the icon depicts a stack of documents with Paper 1 on top of it, while the 3D model has some sort of package at the top. The screenshot above shows that Paper 1 is actually part of the package. Maybe the player had to examine the package to reveal Paper 1?

There is also Paper 2, but it is not clear were it was placed in the stack of documents and whether it was used at all — it could just be a prop object.

Unused Questions

Questions appear on the bottom screen when you talk to characters during investigations.

Note: graphics of the same type are usually grouped together. Questions and Answers graphics are for the most part sorted based on their appearance in the game, but there are exceptions to this rule.

This is the only unused question. There are two instances of it in the game resources — the first one appears at the beginning of the Questions graphics section, right before the "What happened" and "You and the chief" questions. They appear during the first encounter with Maya, and that means that originally the player could ask Maya three questions, instead of two. Looks like it was removed to streamline the game: in the end she mentions her name right before the player is able to talk to her.

Its second instance can be found between the "The director, at al." and "The producer" questions from Case 3. Some of the preceding questions are from the conversation with Penny Nicols and the following questions appear when you meet Sal Manella. "Your Name" could fit both events, but most likely it is the remnant of the early version of the encounter with Gumshoe (see the "Unused Dialogs: Case 3, Day 1, Investigation" section): one of the dialogs begins with the words "Um, Detective? What was your name again? Bobby, was it?".

Unused Choices

Choices mostly appear on the bottom screen during court proceedings and affect the course of actions.

"Don't disturb the scene" has no corresponding Japanese graphics.

It seems they were used during Mike Meekins' cross examination. I guess those answers appeared around the time when Edgeworth asked Wright whether there was something wrong with the security video. "Prove with evidence" could have been a red herring.

At the end of the game, during the last trial day, Gant appears in the court and informs everyone that Lana has something important to say. She then goes to the stand and asks the court to allow her to make a statement and the judge agrees. Those answers suggest that it was up to the player to allow her to speak or not to

Unused Hints

Those hints appear at the top screen during certain events, for example when you have to choose between two or three answers ("Choose your answer").

Unused Graphics (GBA)

Note: The GBA release features all the unused content from the DS version. The images below are only found in the GBA version.

Demo Version Images

The lefover title and end game images from the demo version.

Unused Graphics (DS)

Demo Version Image

The DS version also contains the ending screen from the demo version, albeit in English. Note Maya's mouth, which is closed now — this is how she appears on the actual artwork.

Unlock all Episodes Promt

The Japanese version allows to unlock all cases if the GBA version of Gyakuten Saiban is present in the GBA cartridge slot. Since the DS version is the first release of the game outside Japan, this feature was removed but the corresponding images were not.

Japanese GBA Bubbles

Japanese bubbles from the GBA version. Stored as a single image rather then tiled sprites. It lacks any palette, so I had to use the GBA bubbles palette. This image also appears in the 3DS version.

GBA UI Buttons

GBA button icons and GBA UI "Press" and "Present" buttons.

Language Buttons

Those buttons are used only in the Japanese version: they allow you to switch the language of the game just like in Ace Attorney Trilogy for 3DS.

"Rise from the Ashes" Logo

An empty black image that only contains the Case 5 title, "Rise from the Ashes", at the center. Strangely, the Japanese version of this image contains no text at all.

Unused Lunchbox

An unused lunchbox image that features white rice without any topping. It is not clear whether it was meant to be a separate lunchbox or was just used as the basis for other lunchboxes like "Salmon Swirl", however the game code features an unused lunchbox slot between "First Love" and "Quarter pound of roast beef" lunchboxes.

This graphics also appears in the HD re-release, but unlike its peers, this one has not been remastered for higher resolution - instead it is a basic upscale of the DS image.

Lower Screen Character Images

The images above could be located in the DS version resources using any Tile editor. One might think those are legit sprites since they look totally the same, but the real ones are divided into tiles (chunks) which are further compressed, so there is no other way to view them other than decompressing and rebuilding them first.

It turns out those images were meant to appear on the lower screen during various game events:

Perhaps the other character images were used to reflect the current state of court affairs. For instance, when Phoenix were losing, he would appear holding his head during the "Cross Examination" animation, while the prosecution would have their "smug" image shown instead — and vice versa if Phoenix were in the lead.

Surprisingly, those images could also be found in the second and third game, and in the 3DS port of Ace Attorney Trilogy.

Shoutout to Jau_CR for finding those screenshots in the first place — without him I would never solve this mystery.

Game Mode Labels

The final game contains a number of so-called "labels" that were used to denote certain game modes in the earlier UI:

Even thought the つきつける label says "Present" in Japanese, it was incorrectly translated as "Press" in the English version of this graphics.

There are several screenshots that show where those labels would appear — see below for more info.

Early UI Design

It seems at one point in development the Nintendo DS port featured a different UI design — most notably, it had a radically different color scheme.

In the following pre-release screenshots the UI looks pretty similar to the final game, but it has some slight differences here and there.

Kudos to Jau_CR for finding those screenshots.

Early Fingerprint Minigame UI

The E3 2005 trailer contains a short footage of fingerprint detection minigame, which at that point had a different UI design.

Curiosly, the trailer also contains an image which shows the main characters on the lower screen (see Lower Screen Character Images section for more info).

Kudos to Worst Aqua Player for noticing all of this.

Unused Graphics (3DS)

Note: The following images do not appear in the DS version.

Note 2: Many regular images/sprites have multiple duplicates — they are not mentioned here since they look the same and are basically garbage leftovers.

Demo Version Images

The leftover demo version logo (it's almost a tradition now).

The images from the demo version that appeared after completing it.

Another image from the demo version that explains the bottom screen controls.

The notice screen from the demo version.

"You lost the case!" Image

Phoenix is sitting under a spotlight, with his back to the viewer, embracing his knees. Note the low resolution nature of the image. This picture is directly related to the next one.

Surviban Logo

Sabaiban (or Surviban) was the original title of the game — it is a portmanteau of "Survival" and "Saiban" (trial).

This could be the original logo from that time, though there is no reason whatsoever for it to appear in the 3DS re-release. This image certainly does not appear in the DS and GBA versions. Maybe it's some kind of in-house joke?

Unknown "glass" Image

It seems this image was meant to be placed over the glass pane in the detention center's visitor room as an additional overlay. It depicts glass highlights and a "speaker hole" that allows a visitor and defendant to talk to each other.

Portable Safe and Clock

The first image has already been mentioned in the "Unused Dialogs: Case 2, Day 1, Investigation" section — it is an unused image of a portable safe that was present at the crime scene in Mia's office. It is not clear what part it played in the story — if any.

The second item appears to be a clock. As you may know, the "Turnabout Sisters" episode was supposed to be the first case, and this clock was the original murder weapon (in the final game Mia was killed with The Thinker statue introduced in the first episode, "The First Turnabout").

For some time I had no hard evidence on whether those two items where part of the night office scene, but in 2018, while I was perusing the Gyakuten Saiban Fan Book scans, I accidentally stumbled across the following images which proved my theory beyond any doubt:

The clock appeared at the same spot as The Thinker statue in the final game, while the safe was situated to the right of the broken glass stand. Surprisingly, the lower left image (an early draft of that location) features some unknown object to the left of the stand.

There is also a concept art of the undamaged office that, for the most part, resembles the office from the final game:

The item on the table on the left is actually the aforementioned clock — the table even appears on the early draft image. And the object near the light stand is probably that rectangular thing featured on the early draft — an aquarium perhaps?

The 3DS version also features the following two images:

In the final game Mia's body and the broken stand are part of the background, while these two images suggest that at one point in the game they were meant to be removed — the bottom right drawing above also lacks Mia's body. All this means that the night office location was intended to be visited by the player again — but under different circumstances.

For some reason the portable safe and the clock images appear only in the 3DS version.

Two Pieces of Paper

Those two pieces of paper were to appear outside Mia's office. Their purpose is unclear. Perhaps they are somehow related to the receipt with Maya's name? The Gyakuten Saiban Fan Book contains an image of the location with those papers present:

Those images are also exclusive to the 3DS version.

Early Parking Lot Floor Plans

This looks like an early version of the Parking Lot Floor Plans from Case 5.

Lower Safe Panel w/o keypad

Lower part of the safe from Case 5, but without a keypad.

Quit the Game Promt

In the final version you can quit a game only after making a save — at that point you see the image with the word "Save" like in the DS version. In the mobile ports though the player can choose between saving and going to the main menu or saving the game without quitting. I guess this feature was planned to appear in the 3DS port, but in the end it was cut for whatever reason.

Placeholders and Test Images

This placeholder is based on the image from the DS version of the game.

This placeholder is basically a screenshot from the DS version. For some reason the hint features bigger font and blue background. It was probably used for test purposes.

Another placeholder, this time featuring the gavel animation frame. What is interesting about it is that it has motion blur — this effect is used in the original GBA trilogy, but with the exception of the iOS port not present in any other subsequent re-release.

Sprites from the DS version that were probably used for testing during the early porting phase:

Dummies and miscellaneous images:

Unused Animations

Throughout this and the following section I will refer to a certain release called Gyakuten Saiban Jiten, which deserves some explanation.

Gyakuten Saiban Jiten is a bonus Nintendo DS "encyclopedia" cartridge, that was gifted to those who pre-ordered the Japanese Nintendo DS version of Gyakuten Saiban 3. It contains info on all the series characters and allows to playback music, sprite animations and intro sequences from all the three games released up to that point. As a nice bonus, it also has all the unused animations mentioned bellow, but as you will see later, the title's ROM contains even more unused sprites.

Old Man

Jake Marshall

Mike Meekins

Phoenix Wright (1)

Phoenix Wright (2)

Miles Edgeworth

Larry Butz

Unused Sprites

Phoenix Wright

These never before seen sprites are similar to the iconic finger-pointing pose, save for one detail: instead of being dead serious, Phoenix has a smug smile on his face. Most likely they were part of some yet unknown smiling Phoenix animation, possible recreation of which you can see on the GIF above.

While these frames are not found in any version of the game, they for some reason appear in one of Phoenix's tile sheets inside the Gyakuten Saiban Jiten ROM.

My guess is the developers wanted to include more unused animations into this release, but for some reason had to include only these unused animations that were fully implemented in the retail games.

It also must be noted that while the DS and GBA versions store all their sprites as a row of individual tiles, Gyakuten Saiban Jiten unites them into the so-called tile sheets — huge images that contain all the sprite's tiles. Since the developers converted them into the new format, probably to test waters for similar sprite format in the next installment, it might explain why some unused tiles appeared in this release, but not in the GBA/DS versions.

Kudos to Guiguiba for those findings.

Miles Edgeworth

The following two sprites were part of Edgeworth's "bowing" animation, which originally consisted of 5 unique frames, but was reduced to just 3 frames in the final game. Interestingly, in the TGS 2005 Special Court promo video this animation uses 4 unique frames. Those two sprites also appear in the Gyakuten Saiban 3 Fanbook and Art of Gyakuten Saiban.

Those two sprites are not included in neither version of the game, but thanks to the keen eye of Guiguiba it was discovered, that they too appear inside the Gyakuten Saiban Jiten ROM. Even though they can be found among one of Edgeworth's tile sheets, the bowing animation featured in the animation player does not include them. The GIF animation above shows how it would look like in the game if those two sprites were actually used. Most likely they were omitted to streamline the animation or save some space on the cartridge.

The second sprite (or rather pose) eventually appeared in Ace Attorney Investigations spin-off.

Maya Fey (1)

Similar to the previous ones, those two sprites — or rather tiles overlaying the mouth area — do not appear in any game, but they once again can be found in Maya's tile sheet in the Gyakuten Saiban Jiten ROM. One of them also makes an appearance in the Art of Gyakuten Saiban under the name うなずき — nodding.

As the name suggests, those two frames were at one point part of Maya's "bowing" animation, but it's not clear where they were placed exactly. The GIF above shows one of their possible places in the bowing sequence.

Kudos to Tox for finding them in the Gyakuten Saiban Jiten ROM.

Maya Fey (2)

Early Sprite Design

First of all, it should be stated that the following images are definitely not character artworks — they were clearly intended to be used in the game. Their poses and general similarities to the sprites featured in the game further prove this point.

When doing a comparison keep in mind that the color hues do not match the way they originally appeared, due to the fact that those stills were obtained from imperfect paper scans.

The images below do not appear in the game files in any form.

Maya Fey

The Art of Gyakuten Saiban lists it under the title フキゲン (Sullen). Despite appearing the same at first glance, it actually looks quite different to the final sprite. The fringe has more splits in it, the shape of the face is slightly elongated, the shoulders are less rounded, the beads on the necklace are a tad bigger, while the beads on the braids appear smaller, the bandage is wrapped in the opposite way, the robe side goes way below the bandage, the bow is smaller but wider and also appears in front of the arm rather than behind it.

Also you probably noticed that in this early sprite Maya is not smiling, but looks rather sad — in the final game she does not have this emotion when she stands in this pose.

This sprite also appears in The Art of Gyakuten Saiban under the title 真剣 (Serious). As you can see, it has the same changes as the previous sprite, but it also shows that Maya's sleeves are longer and more narrow.

I think it's safe to say that those changes were made because of artistic reasons and color limitations of the GameBoy Advance handheld.

Larry Butz

Larry Butz's crying sprite had two versions of his eyes:

His "long sleeve" sprite also had a small detail removed:

Dick Gumshoe

Gyakuten Saiban 3 Fanbook contains an earlier version of Gumshoe's sprite:

It combines several expressions that in the final game are part of two separate sprites: Gumshoe's mouth and eyebrows appear similar to the first image, and his eyes stare at some point above like on the second image. The collar of his shirt looks more rumpled, while the coat and tie give different shadows. Moreover, it appears as if Gumshoe holds his hands behind his back.

Mia Fey

Gyakuten Saiban 3 Fanbook also contains an earlier version of Mia's sprite:

In the earlier sprite she has a different pose and facial expression. Her hair strand does not cover the left eye, the attorney's badge is missing from the lapel, and the jacket covers her breasts a little less than in the final game. It is also worth to mention that the lighting and shadows appear in a different way to the final sprite.

Unused Music

BGM009

An unknown track which might have been the original Case 4 ending theme. It could be found only in the DS version of the game.

Kaiji Ganto ~ Sketch

This was supposedly Damon Gant's main theme, but it was ultimately replaced with the more pompous "Kaiji Ganto ~ Swimming, Anyone?" tune.

This track is not present in the game resources in any form — it first appeared in the "Gyakuten Saiban Yomigaeru Gyakuten — Yomigaeru Remix" album under the title "Kaiji Ganto ~ Sketch (Unused Tune)".

Credit Test (Trilogy HD)

The Trilogy HD re-release contains an unused piece of music called "credit_test". This is the earlier version of the track "mayoi_short_inst" that plays out during the newly added Credits sequence (you can access it through "Options"). The intro part is almost the same as in "mayoi_short_inst", but the main part uses a chiptune-like instruments instead of acoustic guitar.

Java2ME Port

A rather obscure fact: the first game was also ported to Java2ME enabled mobile phones — before the Android/iOS smartphones became a thing. There is little info on this version, however. Supposedly, it was released around 2007 as a demo that contained only the first case. The other cases had to be downloaded from Capcom World service which is no longer functional, so nowadays there is only this demo left in the wild.

Despite the limits of the platform, it has all the text, some music, sprites and backgrounds from the original, although sprites have no animation (well, almost). It even has the speech for "Objection", "Hold it" and "Take That", but at the same time it lacks any audio effects — they are somewhat emulated by the newly added vibration function.

Trivia

Here I will describe some small but interesting tidbits that do not belong elsewhere.

Case 5 has at least five unused evidence slots. There is a way to activate them — they contain dummy icons but reuse the description from Mia's profile.

Even though the Japanese version uses a black-and-white filter during most recollection scenes, it is not present in any regional ports of the game. Surprisingly, it does appear in the "Rise from the Ashes" episode made specifically for the DS re-release.

When the game was ported to the Nintendo DS the developers updated the Japanese scripts and in-game presentation to make them more in line with the following games. And it looks like some parts of the English scripts are based on the older GBA ones: this explains some of the differences and bugs between the English and Japanese versions (including the missing black-and-white filter mentioned above).

In Case 2 when you meet Gumshoe for the second time (when you get Maya's Cellphone) you can show him the glass shards:

During the conversation the background changes to the office with Mia's dead body. At the same time Gumshoe is present on screen and continues the conversation.

It's actually an oversight: this is a reminiscence scene and Gumshoe is not supposed to be there (his sprite covers the glass stand, rendering the whole scene pointless).

Will Power's sprite has one of its tiles on his right arm misaligned.

The US version contains the Japanese version of the game with the exception of the Japanese scripts which are replaced with dummy files (although the second and third game do contain them). It's not surprising since the Japanese version includes the English localization, which you can activate through the main menu (just like in Ace Attorney Trilogy (3DS)).

The sound of the gunshot in Case 4 intro is actually a reused sound of Berretta M92 from Resident Evil (PS1).

At the end of the last investigation day in Case 5, after Gant spots Phoenix, Ema and Gumshoe in his office, the game automatically moves you to the Detention Center and blocks you from leaving it. Judging from control codes in the script, originally the player weren't forced into that location — instead they could explore all the available places. The developers probably did it to avoid unnecessary wandering.

There is Maya's profile in Case 1 files — a remnant from the time when Case 2 was the first episode in the game.

There's also Mia's profile in Case 5 files — maybe originally she had a more prominent role in this case?