Ace Attorney's move to 3D came because of a Professor Layton crossover, 'we couldn't ignore the possibilities'

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The Wright move

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy keyart including Trucy , Phoenix, Apollo, Athena and Maya
(Image credit: Capcop)

Kenichi Hashimoto, producer of the upcoming Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy, opened up about the series' history in a recent interview. 

Speaking with the folks at Play Magazine, Hashimoto described the series' move from its timeless 2D graphics to a more modern 3D approach (via GamesRadar).

"We had no plans to shift to 3D with Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney's development," said Hashimoto. However, this would change when, in response to the success of the 3D characters and environments present in Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, the developers behind the mainline Ace Attorney series decided it was time for a change. 

"During the development of the fifth game, Dual Destinies, we saw how successful the 3D visuals were in Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright," continued Hashimoto. 

"Combined with the capabilities of the ten-current Nintendo 3DS hardware, we felt that we couldn't ignore the 3D possibilities. So we tried out a visual style of 3D models which looked like 2D art, and it turned out even better than expected."

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy is set to release on January 25, and includes Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies, and Phoenix Wright: Spirit Of Justice. This upcoming anthology perfectly captures the move from 2D to 3D that occurred between Apollo Justice and Dual Destinies, allowing players to experience the series' shift between these two art styles in full HD. 

The trilogy bundle includes a healthy heaping of bonus content, too. Players will get access to the soundtracks for all three games, plus 14 extra tracks from the Ace Attorney 15th Anniversary Orchestra Concert and the Ace Attorney 2019 Orchestra Concert. 

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy also includes special episodes, costumes, and an art library, as well as an animation studio that will allow players to "freely create the scene of your dreams with character models and animations, background music and voiced lines from the games - all at your fingertips." 

Want more memorable games? Our lists of the best single-player games and best story games have what you're looking for.

Cat Bussell
Cat Bussell
Freelance contributor

An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.

A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.