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Game Debate to the Death! Phoenix Wright VS Professor Layton photo

Last week was the conclusion of the PS3 odd debate brackets, and we certainly finished with an incredibly crazy comparison and contrast competition. With two games that are nothing alike, everyone had to give a lot of thought to how they'd vote, and for what reasons. However, in the end, the winner was clear. Here are the results:

  • Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (41 votes) -- Winner!
  • LittleBigPlanet (26 votes)

This week we move on to the Nintendo DS brackets. With the DS being an insatiable handheld gaming device with record-breaking sales, there's no short list of games to choose from. Based on past popularity and the suggestions you all left in last week's comments, I've narrowed the picks down to a few iconic DS games.

For this week we choose between Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, the game that started a fervent series of legal leisure and laughs, and Professor Layton and the Curious Village, the quirky and enigmatic game that has spawned a series of its own. Which game do you think is better, and why? Give it some serious thought, get some DS friends to share their opinions as well, and check back next week for the winner.

Bonus Question: What was one thing you didn't like about the game you voted for?


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121 comments | showing # 1 to 50

Diverse's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 21:34
Diverse
Incredibly hard decision, but I'll have to go with Ace Attorney.

Bonus Question: Usually only 2 or so cases were really worth playing in each game. BUT! Those cases worth playing, they were SO worth playing. GODOT!! CRY ME SOME MANLY TEARS!!
Castro's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 21:35
Castro
Oh CRAP this is a doozy. I'm gonna have to go with Phoenix Wright though. I was always a fan of the old Sierra and Lucasarts adventure games so I'm kinda biased towards this one. I also like the insane humor.

One thing that I will say that I didn't like about this game was that it seemed extremely difficult. I've probably just gotten stupid in my old age, but I beat my head against a wall on two occasions and had to consult a walkthrough. Seriously. Stupid.
ArrestedDeveloper's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 21:36
ArrestedDeveloper
Phoenix Wright!
Fronz's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 21:37
Fronz
loved Phoenix Wright, but Professor Layton is so well rounded and comes with lots of extra bags of goodies. Layton was, in many ways, the ideal use of the DS stylus for puzzle gameplay and i really look forward to the sequel.

Vote: Professor Layton.

BQ: a bit too much back and forth in the early game. and some of the extras, like room feng shui, were mostly useless. also -- wayyy too many hint coins. shoulda made them used for something else.
Monodi's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 21:37
Monodi
Hell yeah the DS, we are on my field now.

Hard decission, but I vote for Phoenix Wright. The writing, the trama, the suspense, absolutely addicting.

What i didn't like was the navigation system, maybe if it had something like Trace Memory or tapping along a map to go to different places.
de BLOO's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 21:39
de BLOO
Phoenix Wright.

Played my furnds copy, its pretty much perfect.
Guyver 0's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 21:39
Guyver 0
HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME CHOOSE!
i've just bought a dsi and have been playing these all weekend!
they are both amazing!
CarlCastello's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 21:40
CarlCastello
Phoenix Wright, for sure.

Bonus: I agree with the fact that it can be extremely difficult. It was rewarding when things came together, though. Good times.
EnoSachran's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 21:40
EnoSachran
YOU BASTARDS. You make me choose between my two loves...but if I have to go with one, I'd have to say Professor Layton. Not only is it charming and humorous like Phoenix Wright, but the puzzles offer more variety than PW's strictly point and click endeavor. Damn fine gameplay to be had in both, though.

As for a dislike...some of the mindteasers were just plain stupid, in retrospect. Or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, required a goddamn doctorate to solve. I'm smart, but I'm not THAT smart, guys.
eternalplayer2345's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 21:41
eternalplayer2345
Layton! I really don't want to get into why I'm to tired
ThunderHeartXI's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 21:41
ThunderHeartXI
I only played a bit of Phoenix Wright before getting bored but I love Layton to death. Layton for president!
Jesus H Christ's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 21:45
Jesus H Christ
Professor Layton hands down. Trying to find something to fault it for is honestly challenging me. I'm sure I'm forgetting some unforgivable slight, but the only thing that comes to mind is the fact that it doesn't have much replay value. Once you solve all the puzzles once, it's almost pointless to play the game anymore.

Even then all you have to do is wait a year and all the puzzles will be relatively fresh again.
Jonathan Holmes's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 21:45
Jonathan Holmes
If this were series Vs series, Phoenix Wright woudl win hands down. The third game in the series is so amazing, probably the best game of its type I've ever played.

That said, the first Ace Attorney game was just great, not super great, and therefore I have to give it to Layton and the Curious Village.

That game is SUPER great.

BQ: Curious Village is a bit flat in terms of difficulty progression. It could use some highs and lows, like boss fight puzzles, or instant death puzzles or something.
Chronic Logic's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 21:52
Chronic Logic
Ace Attorney is not a video game, it's a single linear story with no choice at all, you just object at certain key interval and prceed with the story.

So my vote goes the Professor Layton even though that game has way too much math in it.
Joseph Leray's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 21:59
Joseph Leray
Layton is an incredible game. The pacing is perfect, and lends itself well to the DS hardware. It's also an incredible example of a casual game wrapped in a hardcore package -- it's basically Brain Training with a story. Layton, I think, does a lot to highlight what "hardcore" gamers are looking for.
grafkhun's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:00
grafkhun
jumping right into this one.

Vote: Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Bonus: a tad slow at times, some puzzles pacing were a bit wonky. You would do like two really easy ones, then maybe a super hard one that has you scratching your head for a while, then the game throws a handful of medium ones before slamming your face with another hard one, then a super easy one. A minor gripe.
Spelunking raccoon's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:01
Spelunking raccoon
I recently had a couple of long train journeys and these were the two games I brought with me. All I played was professor layton.

Yeah so i vote for Layton cause I love me some logic puzzles.
boomfasa's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:06
boomfasa
Professor Layton ftw!

The only thing i didn't like about this game was about 1-2 compulsory puzzles toward the end that were too arduous and difficult for me to enjoy them (princess block sliding or something).
Shin Oni's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:07
Shin Oni
OBJECTION!!!!!1!!

yea...not hard to notice.

Bonus question: uh...the fact that this isn't the 3rd game in the series being voted on? lol
garrfunkel's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:07
garrfunkel
This is by far the most difficult one I've had to decide on. I loved both games so so much. Mostly due to them doing something to bring back the adventure genre without feeling stale.

My vote goes to Professor Layton. No idea why, its just a gut feeling.

Bonus: A bit slow paced at times and somehow, at the same time, extremely short lived.

Also:
Benki's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:07
Benki
I vote Phoenix Wright, all the way.
I didn't know what to expect when I picked the first one up, a random buy which I don't regret. I love it for the writing, characters, story and animation. It's too easy and there are parts which make you think hard, and I love a challenge.

Bonus Question: Out of the whole series, I didn't enjoy the second game all too much. It just felt like filler until the third game, since the main story wasn't really focused on TOO much during the second game but it picked up in the third. It was still playable, but parts of that game like some of the characters annoyed me.
Benki's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:08
Benki
Isn't too easy* even.
OmegaPhoenix's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:09
OmegaPhoenix
Phoenix Wright without a doubt. Great story, excellent music, and who didn't want to shout "Objection!" when they finally figured out that tough challenge?

The bad part is that replay value is fairly low. Some cases you would never want to touch again. I always look forward to the next game, but after finishing it in a few weeks, I wonder if I should regret laying down $30 for a game I may never pick up again.
Jonathan Ross's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:09
Jonathan Ross
Phoenix Wright!
Pyroph's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:12
Pyroph
Layton.
007's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:14
007
Phoenix Wright Fo' Sho'. Amazing game. Amazing dialogue, amazing story, amazing fucking everythaaaang.
Tabris's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:15
Tabris
I have to vote for Professor Layton. While I adored Pheonix Wright I was quickly entived to try other games shortly after starting that one. Professor Layton, however, had me playing four or five hours straight in my first sitting. With Layton I would be thinking about the puzzles while I wasn't playing and if I figured one out I couldn't wait to get back to the game and feel the sense of achievement when they'd smile at me.

Overall I think Layton just made me feel happier and like I had accomplshed something.
Danzflor's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:17
Danzflor
Both games are great, but im going to follow my fanboy side and choose Phoenix Wright.

yeah, Layton has beautiful animations, cutscenes, voices and all the magic stuff, but when i played i felt like "oh, i remember this from the school". Beside that, really makes you think.

BUT! PW came first, it gots a freakin awesome history and it let me saw the lawyers worlds from a very diferent perspective. Also it becames part of the videogame popular culture, and his simplicity really caught me.

The only thing i don't like about it, NO VOICES, VERY FEW ANIMATIONS. Now you can see layton or lux-pain, similar games with voices, videos. Yeah Wright it's a port, but capcom could have added that on the DS version, but they didn't :(
falinter's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:18
falinter
Wow kinda hard.
I've played 2 Wright games and half of Layton (so far) but I'll have to go with Wright.

Just cause hes meme-able.
theredpepperofdoom's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:19
theredpepperofdoom
too hard! but ill go with profssor layton because he swordfights with a vampire. phoenix is awesome tho. bonus: hard puzzles
solidgoomba's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:20
solidgoomba
Vote: Phoenix Wright
Professor Layton was great, but I just never fell in love with it the same way I did PW (it also helps that one of friends drew me as Phoenix XD)
dclark's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:21
dclark
Professor Layton!

I absolutely loved this game.
vikingofmars's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:22
vikingofmars
I'm not done with Prof. Layton yet, but Phoenix Wright was definitely a great game. I didn't like however the couple of times there were several pieces of evidence which made sense for objecting a certain statement.
fozzyozzy's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:25
fozzyozzy
I vote Wright/ Apollo, because, really what is Layton besides a clever package for riddles that already existed in the world? I love Layton but it's got nothing you can't already get from a big book of puzzles.

Now Ace Attorney, on the other hand, at its best, featured some of the best video game writing I've ever seen. Every detail ties into the story, whether you realize it or not.

I'll admit I don't like most leaps of faith the game asks you to take, or the investigation segments which give you no player direction whatsoever.(seriously, i hate going from screen to screen tapping every pixel on the off chance I missed something that is vital to progressing the story.) But when you start to finally untangle the case, there is no better feeling of satisfaction.
dmgi's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:25
dmgi
Phoenix Wright, Proffesor Layto is great and all, but since they're both have non-existing replay value, I'd have to go with the one with the more intriguing story.

BQ: Too much baxktracking, sometimes it's hard to guess between two really related clues to present to the judge.
killatia's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:25
killatia
I'm gonna go with Phoenix Wright for its deep complex story line that surprising me hold me over for his 3 ds games.
Grenator Bole's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:29
Grenator Bole
I completely vote for Layton. I have played both completely and there is no question that Layton is the better game for me. I am also extremely excited for the Diabolical Box or whatever it is going to be called.
Naim Master's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:30
Naim Master
Layton , tapping maps like crazy for a coin .
Exrecaller's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:31
Exrecaller
Crap... Both are great, but my vote goes for Phoenix Wright, mainly because of the humor and that HUGE feeling of satisfaction when you finish a case. I'm sure everyone who played it felt it, when the Pursuit song would come on. There is so many times where irl I felt like yelling out the memorable 'Objection', the whole thing is iconic AND epic.

I have to agree that the first game wasn't as good as the third (and even fourth) in terms of storytelling and such, but it layed the foundation for everything else. ALl the realisations you make in the third would of had no meaning without the first game. I sure remember when you see Mia's death again during the later cases, they'd always send shivers down my spine and tears to my eyes. Oh, and the 'Pursuit - Cornered' remix in Trials and Tribulations made me so happy.

All in all, I don't actually get emotive about Layton, so it fails.

BONUS: Little to no replayability. Sure it's hard to do for a graphic novel, but check out 'Chaos;Head' for example and you'll see the possibilities.
Kylehyde's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:33
Kylehyde
I love both games, but Phoenix Wright was the principal responsible of my love for the DS so my vote goes to "Phoenix Wright"

Bonus: Mia's death, I know she appears later, but i really liked her character
pendelton21's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:52
pendelton21
Oh, you fucker; how dare you pit 2 of my favorite DS titles against each other?!?! Well, I'm gonna have to go with Layton on this one. God I love that top hat.
Coonskin05's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 22:54
Coonskin05
Layton hands down. The PW games are alright, but logic puzzles get me harder than Necros at a Klan rally.

BQ: The sequels haven't been localized yet.
etirflita's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 23:01
etirflita
Tough call; I love me my Feenie, but if I had to save one and only one of these games from a burning building my vote would be for
Professor Layton.

Replayability and bonus content wins it for me. (Sorry Phoenix! I'll still buy the blue badger dsi if it comes to the states)
HerosPlayDumb's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 23:03
HerosPlayDumb
professor layton definitely. it was such a great game. bonus question: the back tracking early on in the game and tapping like crazy for coins.
TehBuLL's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 23:06
TehBuLL
phoenix wright, end of story.
Mystic Violet's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 23:20
Mystic Violet
Wow. What a question. I played both games and loved them.

My vote: Phoenix Wright

Phoenix Wright has an awesome cast of characters and I enjoyed going through each case trying to figure out "who did it." Layton was very fun as well but I didn't feel much of a connection to the Layton world or the people in it. I was more obsessed with the puzzles than figuring out what was happening.

BQ: I hated figuring out what the answer was and not being able to reveal that information until the game allowed it.
tkyy's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 23:24
tkyy
Phoenix Wright
manasteel88's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 23:27
manasteel88
Pheonix...its the closest thing to a visual novel we'll get
XL1ska's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 23:28
XL1ska
Phoenix Wright is one of my favorite series of all time. Brilliant writing, incredible character development, and stories that got me heavily emotionally invested. Easily some of the finest storytelling ever.

Layton is badass, and the puzzles are really inventive, and the art style is gorgeous, but no matter how great the puzzles were and how charming the story was, being in a village full of people who only do things in exchange for having a puzzle solved that they are too lazy to figure out is a little weird. I love it, but Phoenix is a game that I could not put down ever. All four of them.

VOTE: Phoenix Wright
BONUS: I don't like how Phoenix is basically not a game. It's an interactive novel with choices. You rarely feel like you are playing a game; it always just seems like a novel with some trial and error segments.
Mr Kite's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/07/2009 23:31
Mr Kite
This is really tough, they're both top notch games but I think I will have to go with:

Professor Layton

Bonus: I have something of an OCD so when a puzzle comes up that I can't solve I'll just guess until I get it, so I dislike the fact that some of the puzzles I don't solve with me mind, though perhaps that is not the games fault.
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