It's strange to go back and replay this game now that I'm familiar with the characters, for example, the judge isn't the lovable goof that I know him for in the first couple of cases, although he does develop into that halfway through the game. But it's fun to see how the cast of characters met for the first time, and when Maya asked Wright if she could call him "Nick" I couldn't help but smile.
The first game sets the bar for the series quite high (and it's amazing how they end up setting it higher in further games), one of the things I like about the AA games is that they have a storyline from begging to end, and this being the first game, that connection is fairly clear, with only the third case kinda jumping out of it. The first case helps setting up the mechanics and the main character, but it's really on the second case, the iconic Turnabout Sisters, that the story really starts and we get to know Gumshoe, Maya and, of course, Edgeworth, the most famous of prosecutors.
Personally, I used to not like Edgeworth all that much, but for some reason my opinion changed throughout this gameplay, his story is interesting and have no doubts about it, the story of the first game is much more about Edgeworth than it is about Wright. That's why the last chapter is as powerful as it is.
The last cases are always the best part of each game, and the first is no exception, putting the stakes high while you discover the truth behind your old friend's past.
There's also an extra case (which I guess you could consider it the last case, as it is Chapter 5, but I really don't because the game was originally made with only 4 cases and the fifth was written for the DS release) which is the biggest chapter in the whole thing being one of the few, if not the only time there's a 4 day case in the series. The chapter itself is pretty solid, although I would say chapter 2 and 4 are still above it, but it gains points for introducing Ema Skye, which would later appear in the 3DS games to substitute Gumshoe.

Replaying the whole main series. The anime skips over so much and just makes me think of how much better the games are.

That's right, @Pape Badiane, I'm screwing up your lists by adjusting the Phoenix Wright trilogy to their original GBA release dates. It's high time this change was made.

Not getting since I already own them all for DS, but I'm just so happy for those who will now know of and try Ace Attorney because of this :')

Ace Attorney is still one of the best games of all time. Very few games make people feel the drama in the same way as Ace Attorney. The eclectic soundtrack, unique character designs and the gripping dialogue coincide to make this a true classic. No other scene investigation game immerses people into the world in the same way as Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.

It was the beginning of a legend that would capture the hearts of whoever would give it a try. Unconventional for its time, the original Ace Attorney is an absolute classic that sketched the best storyline in the industry. Phoenix, Maya, Mia, Edgeworth, Gumshoe, Lotta, Ema Skye, and the Judge were all introduced and would soon tell their own stories in the sequels to come. It's the only game I've played where the aftethought gameplay is actually forgiven for the excellently-paced story and outstanding soundtrack. The final case is one of the longest and most climactic in the series, and the explosions of the original would create ripples in later games. It's hard to say much about Ace Attorney, other than it's a joy to play through.

I held back for a while, but then i couldn't resist, i HAD to play this series, starting with Phoenix wright: Ace attorney. The story of this game is incredible, and the characters are very memorable, including Miles Edgeworth, Dick gumshoe and of course, Maya Fay. The only problem i have with this game is that the investigations can get tedious and boring, especially later on. The court segments have some of the most intense moments in any game i have ever played. Although not really a problem, the court segments follow a similar pattern, but that doesn't stop them from being shocking, with plot-twists showing up every now and then. The court segments can also be a bit easy, but that adds to the narrative.

I'm really glad that I got into the Ace Attorney series. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney features a wide cast of unique and likable characters, deep and thought out criminal cases and great animations. Capcom focused on great story elements and simple playability instead of gimmicky touchscreen/microphone controls. The soundtrack is outstanding and emphasizes the thrilling atmosphere in court battles greatly. The same can be said for any other Ace Attorney game as they are all of high-quality. There are some spelling mistakes in the German version of this game but that's forgivable as the dialogs are still great and often funny.

It's a game about lawyers! And it's an adventure! It couldn't be worse, could it? Well, surprisingly this game is awesome. Even if you can't control the story (it's most like a book than a game) this is surely one of the best experiences I ever had on my DS. The characters are so lovely and charismatic, the plot is so twisted, funny and crazy, well, everything fits perfectly. It was 20 hours, 20 good hours that I spent with this title. I hope I'll see Mr. Wright, Mr. Edgeworth, the Fey sisters, Dectetive Gunshoe and the Skye sisters again, I need to scream 'OBJECTION!' again... I'm wondering if the second game is as good as this.

This is one of those games that mercilessly sucks the NDS battery dry – it's so surprisingly compelling that, even at 3.oo a.m., you still don't wanna stop. Featuring various interesting characters – funny, not too serious, and flamboyant – "PW:AA" is a crime drama visual novel (series) that is unrivaled. Granted, there aren't many other "lawyer games" in existance … but, err … that's how innovative it is!

The gameplay, apart from being dialog-heavy, is divided into a point-&-click investigation and a courtroom interrogation where you search for the witnesses' & suspects' contradictions. The character sprites & animations are the driving force of the graphics and as such, they don't disappoint. The backgrounds however are a bit too simplistic for my taste, but not enough to lessen the overall experience. The music succeeds in making mere conversations thrilling (!), but "dying" can become tedious due to sparse checkpoints and no way to skip text you've read already.