Unused content in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney — Trials and Tribulations
This page aims to catalogue all the unused and cut content of the third game in the Gyakuten Saiban/Ace Attorney series — Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney — Trials and Tribulations.
The majority of the findings presented here were discovered by me, the author of this article, while I was fan-translating the game. However, some content was uncovered by folks at court-records.net, tcrf.net and other contributors.
In general, most of the unused content mentioned here is present in the GBA, NDS, and 3DS versions. However, there are exceptions. For instance, the GBA version does not feature any unused English dialogue since it was only released in Japan. The 2019 re-release of the Trilogy contains only a small fraction of the unused content.
This article contains spoilers.
2021.08.11 update: added the Unused Animations, Early Sprite Design, Earlier Case 1 Intro Music, GBA Debug Menu and Japanese GBA Demo Version sections, added three new entries to the Unused Sprites section (Young Mia, Godot (2) and Dahlia's Soul) and reworked the Godot (1) entry.2022.04.12 update: added one new entry to the Unused Graphics (DS) section (Beheaded Judge).
2022.07.11 update: updated Folding Screen and Dummy Icon descriptions.
2026.02.11 update: improved text flow and wording throughout the article.
Unused Dialogues
The unused dialogues were extracted from the game scripts and may contain spelling errors due to them being unused. The provided English translation was taken from the American NDS version of the game.
Unused Dialogues: Case 5, Part 1-1: Investigation
Dialogue #1
Location: Training Hall Room
Context: When examining a hibachi stove.
| Unused English Dialogue | Unused Japanese Dialogue |
|
Maya:
Phoenix:
Maya:
Phoenix:
Maya: |
Mayoi:
Naruhodo:
Mayoi:
Naruhodo:
Mayoi: |
Commentary: See below.
Unused Dialogues: Case 5, Part 3-1: Investigation
Dialogue #1
Location: Training Hall Room
Context: When examining a hibachi stove.
| Unused English Dialogue | Unused Japanese Dialogue |
|
von Karma:
Phoenix:
von Karma:
Light it for me, Phoenix
Phoenix: Ouch!
von Karma:
Phoenix |
Karuma:
Naruhodo:
Karuma:
ちょっと、火をつけてみて。
Naruhodo: いてててッ！
Karuma:
Naruhodo: |
Commentary: According to those leftover lines, the Training Hall room...
...once had a hibachi stove with two dialogues assigned to it.
The fact that those unused dialogues made it to the final game suggests that the stove was removed from this background quite late in the game development.
Placeholder Captions/Icons
In the Japanese version of Ace Attorney for Nintendo DS/3DS, each item in the Court Record consists of two icons and two separate boxes (images) that contain caption/age text and description data respectively.
In the English version, icons and captions are stored just like in the Japanese version. However, since text for the western languages usually requires more space, the localized descriptions were separated into a completely new set of graphics assets containing a much larger area, while the original description assets were repurposed to contain the age data and additional info not found in the Japanese version.
The game contains a set of large and small icons. The small icons are only used in the Court Record menu to represent available evidence. However, some full-sized icons that appear only on the top screen (and were never meant to be evidence) also have smaller-sized versions that go unused. This should not come as a surprise: the developers likely batch-converted all large icons and never bothered to remove the redundant files.
Strictly speaking, Trials and Tribulations does not contain any unused evidence, but it does contain captions for certain items that are only displayed on the top screen for illustration purposes. Most likely, they were never meant to appear in the Court Record as actual evidence, since their age and description boxes are empty in both the English and Japanese versions; moreover, in the GBA version, their description boxes contain the word "Dummy."
Case 1 — Clock Face
Caption (ENG/JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Commentary: A watch seen on the crime scene photo.
Case 2 — Misty Fey
Caption (ENG/JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Commentary: The caption is only found in the NDS version.
Case 2 — Cell Phone
Caption (ENG/JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Commentary: The caption is only found in the NDS version.
Case 2 — Tear of Emanon
Caption (ENG/JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Commentary: The caption is only found in the NDS version.
Case 2 — Atmey's Bag
Caption (ENG/JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Commentary: The caption is only found in the NDS version.
Case 2 — Atmey's Jemstone
Caption (ENG/JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Commentary: The caption is only found in the NDS version.
Case 2 — Unbent Shichishito
Caption (ENG/JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Case 3 — Vase
Caption (ENG/JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Case 3 — Programmer
Caption (ENG/JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Case 3 — Aromatherapy Bottle
Caption (ENG/JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Case 5 — Bloody Letters
Caption (ENG/JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Commentary: The caption is only found in the NDS version.
Case 5 — Trick Lock
Caption (ENG/JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Commentary: The caption is only found in the NDS version.
Case 5 — Metal Detector
Caption (ENG/JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Commentary: The caption is only found in the NDS version.
Case 5 — Opened Talisman
Caption (JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Commentary: The caption is only found in the NDS version.
Case 5 — Old Photo
Caption (JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Commentary: The small icon of this item looks identical to the big one.
Case 5 — Iris in Hood
Caption (JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Commentary: The caption is only found in the NDS version.
Manfred von Karma
Caption (ENG/JAP), Small Icon (not used):
Commentary: The caption is only found in the NDS version.
Folding Screen Icon
Commentary: This is the Folding Screen icon from the second game, which is found only in the GBA version. Based on its position among other icons, it was probably meant to be displayed when examining the folding screen at the Kurain Exhibit in the second episode.
Kudos to Tox for the tip.
Dummy Icon
Commentary: It seems that at one point the game would have featured an image, or a piece of evidence, of Glen's loan contract, similar to the "Jean's Loan Contract" evidence that appears in the game.
Kudos to Tox for providing the Japanese text.
Dummy Agebox
Commentary: A dummy agebox from unused evidence items.
Unused Questions
Questions appear on the bottom screen when you talk to characters during investigations.
This is the only unused question, which is probably a leftover from the first game, since the third one has no three-day trials.
Unused Choices
Choices mostly appear on the bottom screen during court proceedings and affect the course of actions.
Starting from image #154 ("I have no idea") and up until the last image, there are 53 unused choice graphics from the third and fourth episodes of Justice for All. They follow the same order and contain the exact same text.
This fact also serves as proof that the third game was based on the second one (which in turn was built directly on the first one).
Unused Graphics (DS)
Unlock all Episodes Promt
The Japanese version allows to unlock all cases if the GBA version of Gyakuten Saiban 3 is present in the GBA cartridge slot. Since the NDS version is the first release of the game outside Japan, this feature was removed but the corresponding images were not.
Unused Background Thumbnails
Background thumbnails are used on the bottom screen to represent available locations within the Move menu.
Since the player never visits those locations in during the depicted events, those thumbnails go unused.
Early Heavenly Hall Sign Graphics
The Heavenly Hall background thumbnail reveals an interesting detail upon closer inspection, indicating that it used a different font in the English version at one point.
The "Heavenly Hall" text on the thumbnail looks different from the one found on the full-sized background: "Heavenly" has a slight upward curve, and the entire title is apparently based on an italicized, handwritten-style font.
Beheaded Judge
The French and German versions of the game contain a curious background showing the Judge without a head. It remains unused, as a standard "clean" version of this background exists within the ROM.
The lower part of the Judge's sprite is reused in all of his animation frames, which explains why the background image is headless. Why this asset appears only in the French and German versions is beyond anyone's guess.
Kudos to Tox for discovering this image.
Unused Graphics (3DS)
Localized Hazakura Temple Sign
The 3DS re-release contains two unused images that feature the Hazakura Temple sign in English. This is quite surprising since, according to the series localization director Janet Hsu, everything related to Kurain tradition is typically left unchanged in the English version. A plausible guess is that the background artist simply forgot that these images were supposed to remain as they are..
Unused Animations
Tiger
In the original GBA release, Tigre's breakdown animation consisted of four unique frames, but from the NDS version onward, it was reduced to just two. This was likely done to mitigate excessive flickering that could trigger epileptic seizures.
Unused Sprites
Young Mia
This unused frame, found in all versions of the game, closely resembles the existing sprite, with the exception of Mia's sleeves being billowed out to depict hand motion. It was intended to appear during Mia's desk-slamming animation. Its presence in the final game data suggests it was replaced or removed as a last-minute change.
Kudos to Tox for finding this unused sprite.
Godot (1)
Evidence suggests that Godot's desk-slam animation originally included a unique pose with four variations, as seen above. These were likely intended as intermediate frames for the aforementioned animation; their removal may have been a stylistic choice to increase the perceived impact of the strike.
These sprites are present within the Gyakuten Saiban Jiten ROM and are also featured in the Art of Gyakuten Saiban artbook.
Kudos to Tox for finding the Jiten version.
Godot (2)
The Gyakuten Saiban Jiten ROM contains an unused sprite that was likely intended for Godot's mask explosion animation.
Kudos to Tox for finding it.
Dahlia's Soul
An unused sprite of Dahlia's evil spirit can be found alongside other in-game sprites. It is distinct from the other poses used during her exorcism animation. More notably, the final exorcism animation is implemented using background layers rather than sprites; this suggests that, at one point, the sequence may have been intended to look and function differently.
Kudos to Tox for finding it.
Dahlia Hawthorn
This unused sprite closely resembles the one featured in the final version, which is probably why it was never implemented into the game.
It can only be found in the Art of Gyakuten Saiban book.
Desire DeLight
Most likely, it was ommited in favor of another similar sprite that did appear in the final game.
It could only be found in the Art of Gyakuten Saiban book.
Lisa Basil
In the final version, Lisa Basil's expressions have a limited range; she is only ever seen in neutral, smiling, or nervous states. However, this unused sprite depicts her in a state of extreme shock,
It can only be found in the Art of Gyakuten Saiban book.
Terry Fawles
As with several other assets, this pose was omitted due to its similarity to another sprite that appears in the final game.
It can only be found in the Art of Gyakuten Saiban book.
Early Sprite Design
Young Mia
In the Japanese GBA demo, Mia's finger-pointing sprite differs from the one used in the final game. In the demo, her finger is straight and angled upward, whereas in the retail version, it is bent and points downward. Additionally, the upper portion of her lapel is missing in the demo's sprite.
Unused Music
Original GBA Demo Opening Theme
The Japanese GBA demo uses different music and sound effects during the first episode's opening cutscene compared to the final release.
Leftover Music
Since the third game was build on top of the second one, which, in turn was based on the first one, it contains several leftover tracks from Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney:
- Pursuit ~ Cornered 2001 (do not confuse with Reminiscence ~ Cornered 2004 that plays in the final)
- Pursuit ~ Cornered (Variation) 2001 (same here)
- Reminiscence ~ Case DL-6
GBA Debug Menu
The GBA version of the game features a debug menu that can be accessed by changing the RAM value at address 0x030037B8 to 0x0000000F. It consists of eight entries that do the following:
- scenario_select — provides quick access to any script in the game, including the two debug scripts;
- cyn_obj_test — A character animation viewer which also allows to change the background;
- obj_test — A 2D object viewer (bubble animations, case intros graphics, etc);
- bg_test — A background viewer;
- sound_test — A music and sound effect player;
- ct_test — A test for some sort of scanline effect (possibly a flashback transition). Also allows to turn on a sepia mode.
- key_test — A button control test;
- all_clear — Unlocks every case in the game.
Huge kudos to MCBoy for providing this information.
Japanese GBA Demo Version
The Japanese GBA demo version contains several differences compared to the final game:
- The opening cutscene of the first episode uses different music and sound effects for the most part;
- The defendant lobby reuses music from the second game;
- The defense desk graphics are reused from the second game (they were given a smoother gradient in the final version of the third game);
- Mia's "hands on desk" animation is missing a portion of her sleeve near her left hand, which was corrected in the final sprite. This bug was fixed for the retail release;
- Mia's "finger pointing" sprite features slight visual differences;
- Young Phoenix's crying animation plays at roughly double the speed of the final version;
- The demo concludes with unique text and Dahlia's sprite appearing against a black background.
Trivia
This section covers various minor details and trivia that do not fall under any specific category.
Since the game was built on top of the second title (which, in turn, was built on top of the first one), it also contains all of its junk graphics, such as the Japanese GBA Bubbles, GBA UI Buttons and Language Buttons among other things.