Layton Ace Attorney

The Professor Layton and Ace Attorney franchises are two of the most iconic Nintendo handheld series of recent times, so it's no surprise that there's a fair amount of anticipation for the Western release of Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney on the 3DS. The combined work of Level-5 and Capcom — with the former primarily responsible for development — this title finally arrives in Europe on 28th March; at the time of writing Nintendo of America is yet to pin down an official release date.

With its arrival creeping closer Nintendo has taken the opportunity to explain a little more about the story and some incentives for players to see the adventure through. The press release excerpt below shares information on the plot and role of trusty sidekicks, before going on to emphasize the importance of hint coins and Picarats both in the game and for serving up post-game unlockables.

The scene is set in Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney when through independent circumstances both Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright – with their respective partners Luke Triton and Maya Fey in tow – cross paths in London with a mysterious woman, Espella Cantabella and subsequently find themselves spirited away to Labyrinthia, a world overseen by the shadowy figure of the Storyteller. This literary master of Labyrinthia has a gift for foreseeing the future, and with every prophecy penned is a tale destined to become reality. Aside from dispelling the people of Labyrinthia’s suspicions of foreign visitors, once Layton and Wright get acquainted and both remember their calling they must begin unravelling the unusual events of the city and save Espella from being condemned as a witch.

With the two quintessential gentlemen working in tandem, during court trials Phoenix Wright is able to use Hint Coins – a staple of the Professor Layton series – in order to narrow down options when presenting evidence, or provide helpful hints when cross-examining witnesses. After all, in the Witch Trials of Labyrinthia multiple witnesses to a crime can take to the stand, meaning Wright will need to be on guard to press any witness who is looking suspicious when another testimony is being given. Don’t be surprised in addition to see Layton stepping up to raise an objection, both on the side of the defence and the prosecution…

For those who finish the main story, Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney will offer Bonuses including exclusive artwork and music from the game. Make sure that throughout the course of your adventure in London and Labyrinthia you collect as many Picarats as possible – the higher the Picarat score you have at the end of the game, the more content will be unlocked. Once more for fans who complete the main story, free extra content can also be unlocked gradually, with treats for fans such as twelve short new episodes for the game, and galleries featuring over sixty illustrations with comments from the development team on how they brought the two legendary gentlemen together for this unique adventure.

The Level-5 influence is clear to see in these features, with post-game unlockables based on Picarat accumulation staples of the Professor Layton series. Let us know what you think of these details in the comments section, while a brand new teaser trailer is below.