Gyakuten Saiban on GBA, the first Ace Attorney in Japanese version. Defend Phoenix Wright, find contradictions, shout OBJECTION! Just as addictive as day one.
Your verdict
Category
Adventure4 players12+
Description
Trial game developed by Capcom on GBA, published in Japan in September 2001. Defense attorney Phoenix Wright must cross-examine witnesses and present contradictory evidence to exonerate wrongly accused clients in court. Four cases with distinct storylines, colorful characters including Mia Fey and Detective Gumshoe, contradictions to find in testimonies and dramatic courtroom revelations. Known in the West as Ace Attorney.
Gyakuten Saiban review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
MAX
Story
★★★★★
"Masterful"
A young lawyer barely out of the shadows learns to flush out lies by overturning each testimony at the very last second. Twisted cases, comical witnesses and courtroom coups de théâtre lay the foundations of a whole genre. This lively, funny, devilishly clever writing remains a model of playful investigation.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
Compare prices
Loading eBay listings…
Alert active — budget
$
Collector interest
Original Japanese edition of the first Phoenix Wright on GBA, released in September 2001 under the Gyakuten Saiban title, seven years before the Western DS release that popularised the franchise. The cartridge is the only physical support for the game in its native form, which makes it a reference piece for anyone seeking the pre DS Takumi version outside Virtual Console. Capcom rigid case with a dedicated Japanese obi, short Japan run.
Better with friends
A courtroom investigation where you hunt the contradiction in testimonies, a genre that's surprisingly great shared even though it's played solo. The magic strikes when the group thinks together: spotting the flaw, debating which evidence to present, cheering when the culprit cracks. Each trial becomes a collective riddle, and solving a case in one shared burst brings a delightful common satisfaction.
Is Gyakuten Saiban still worth playing in 2026?
The original Gyakuten Saiban, or Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney in the West, remains after more than twenty years one of the finest investigation visual novels, and the GBA version is the original incarnation. The rhythm of the cases, short but dense, the brisk writing and the well timed twists still work just as well today. The GBA version saw a Japanese only release, yet a fan translation exists and the cartridge keeps real collector value. Recommended to fans of detective fiction, sharp comedic writing and contradiction driven mysteries.
