The Let's Play Archive

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

by DKII

Part 97: Episode 4, Day 2, Investigation: The Butz

Part 97: Episode 4, Day 2, Investigation: The Butz



All right, we know what's really needed here.

Music: Silence


Sound: Realization

What about it?



Larry's trying to play innocent with us, so let's be direct with him.

Say... is this air tank yours?


Sound: Stab 2



It's just like the string of flags around your Steel Samurai there.

quote:

Here's what happens if we're a little less direct:

Have you seen this before?

Huh? Me? N-no. Never.
Sound: Light Bulb

Who the heck would go diving in the middle of the winter!

(There's something about the way his eye twitched when I showed him the tank...)

(I think I'd better pursue this line of questioning a little further...)

We're brought back to the evidence screen. We have to present again, get to that first prompt, and pick the other option to continue.

Music: Objection!

...!
Sound: Stab

M-must be a coincidence!

Interesting time for that music. This segment does feel like a cross-examination.



L-like elementary schools! A-and used car dealerships!



I know this one. Larry already said his compressor was broken. I bet he tried another option and it didn't work out.

You used it to inflate that, didn't you?

I-inflate what!?

What else?

That big puffy Steel Samurai!
Sound: Realization

quote:

As annoying as Larry is, I don't think Larry was actually diving around in the lake or really involved with this murder. But let's accuse him of it anyway.

You used this to go diving in the lake, didn't you?

Wh-wh-what!?
Sound: Stab 2

Why the heck would I go diving in the lake!?
Sound: Drama Pound

Music: Silence

Wait!
Sound: Light Bulb
Sound: Super Shock

You... you're not...
Sound: Realization

You're not saying I had something to do with that murder!?

N-no, not at all, just...

Hey, you watch it buddy! I'm not saying anything until my lawyer gets here!
Sound: Whack

Larry... Nick is your lawyer.
Sound: Realization

Well, Larry? She's right.

Bah!
Sound: Damage 2

A-anyway, I never seen that air tank! Okay?
Sound: Whack

(Yeah, right...)

Music: The Steel Samurai

(Larry is hiding something, I can tell...)

I like the reminder that we're still considered Larry's lawyer somehow. Anyway, we get brought back to the evidence screen and have to start all over again.

!!!
Sound: Stab 2

...


Sound: Light Bulb

(Looks like I hit the nail on the head.)

...

Right... right...

Actually, umm...



So I tried using the tank to inflate it, just once.

And, er, it didn't go so well.



I mean, obviously we have to keep pushing here.

It "didn't go so well"?
Sound: Realization

Er, yeah.

Do you think you could be a little more specific?

C-c'mon...



Tell us! Tell us!
Sound: Light Bulb

...

Fine.

quote:

I'm not sure why anyone would back off at this point, but just in case:

(I guess I've gotten to the bottom of that mystery!)

Music: Silence

Heh. Sorry!

A quick exit back to the evidence screen, where we have to start over yet again to continue.



Music: Silence

So I took the tank and tried to fill the Samurai up with that.

And then...


Sound: Weak Gunshot

Now there's a familiar sound.

Music: The Steel Samurai


Sound: Pong



Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Gourdy.

And that tank there took off like a rocket.

And it took my poor deflated Steel Samurai with it!


Sound: Damage 2

It sure scared me out of my gourd, that's for sure.



The scene ends rather suddenly, and we're left to go hunting in the talk screen for a new topic instead.

Umm...



What happened next?

Well, all that happened on the 20th or so.

(The 20th... a week ago.)



So I went out every night in a boat looking for it.



And when did you find it?

Just the night before last!



(The night before last...

Music: Silence

was the night of the murder!)
Sound: Shock 2



Forget that, how are you breaking out new sprites on me 90% of the way through the game?

Actually, I was here on the night of the murder.

But, you see, I went home before midnight.



No...

That's too bad...

It's not all bad.

We've solved one mystery at least.


Sound: Realization

(Maybe we should go tell her...)

There's only one "her" that Phoenix could be referring to there, and it's a pretty big hint at our next destination, even if the player hasn't figured things out by now.



Before we go, we can show the tank to Larry one more time to get a recap of what we just learned.

See, I tried to use this tank to fill up the Samurai.

I was attaching the tank, when it happened!


Sound: Weak Gunshot



The tank shot up in the air like a rocket...



Man, what a sight that was.


Sound: Pong

Me too.
Sound: Pong



I checked everywhere else just in case, but there's really nothing left to do but go back and give Lotta the news.

Music: Happy People



Presenting the air tank still doesn't do anything. The key here is this "Gourdy" topic that has stayed unchecked this whole time.

Well, Mister Lawyer?

I've got the info y'all need!



Oh good, more meaningless choices. I'm pretty sure either of these last two will work here.

Huh? Gourdy? Oh, we found him already.

Music: Silence


Sound: Light Bulb

Y-y'all for real!? Gourdy really exists!?
Sound: Whack

Wait!



Better than a photo, even...

Of course I have proof.

No fair, Nick!
Sound: Realization

It was when I went to the bathroom, wasn't it!?



Enough jabbering already, let's see your proof!



Now is the time to present the air tank.




Sound: Realization

quote:

What if we backed off and said we didn't have any proof?

I don't have it yet, but my lawyer instincts tell me the proof is out there.

Hah! Nice try, but y'all can't pull the wool over these eyes that easy!
Sound: Super Shock

That won't work in court, either, Nick...
Sound: Drama Pound

(Great, now they're both mad at me.)

Just like with Larry earlier, picking the wrong branch here just brings us back to the beginning where we have to select the "Gourdy" topic again.

quote:

Getting the proof wrong is possible, I suppose.



...

Y'all trying to make a fool outta me?
Sound: Super Shock

That don't prove diddly-squat!

Hmph. We almost had her duped, too.

(We need to do something soon or I won't get that information off of her!)

We get brought back all the way to the beginning of the conversation again. No easy retry loops here.

quote:

Back on the original choice, saying we don't have anything yet goes nowhere, as expected.

It's not going to be that easy to find him, you know.

You'd better hurry or you won't have that info in time for the trial tomorrow!

(Uh oh...)

Not very interesting; we just get dumped back to the conversation screen to try again.

quote:

Finally, there's a whole other branch for instead saying that Gourdy doesn't exist.

Lotta...

There is no such thing as Gourdy.
Sound: Realization

Music: Silence

Wh-what!? How can y'all be so sure!
Sound: Light Bulb
Sound: Super Shock

R-really, Nick!?
Sound: Light Bulb
Sound: Stab 2

Y'all got some proof Gourdy don't exist!?
Sound: Damage 2

The proof that Gourdy doesn't exist...

We get a similar prompt as when saying we found Gourdy, with two options: "Is here," for presenting proof, and "Is out there somewhere," for backing off. The latter option gives the exact same scene as saying we don't have proof on the other branch. Showing proof here is slightly different, so I'll continue down that branch...

Of course I have proof.

No lawyer worth his badge would make a claim without the proof to back it up.

Here's the proof that Gourdy doesn't exist...

We're prompted to present evidence here. The right answer proceeds the same as the branch we chose; the wrong answer is slightly different, so let me show that branch here as well:



...

Hah! All that fancy talk about lawyers and proof had me going for a second there!
Sound: Super Shock

Y'all better take a good hard look at that badge of yours and consider a career change!
Sound: Whack

(Great, the "investigative photographer" is giving me career advice...)

As in the other branch, showing the wrong evidence brings us all the way back to the beginning to try again.

Music: Objection!


Sound: Light Bulb

This... is Gourdy.
Sound: Pong

Umm... scuze me?



There's a stand near here... a hotdog stand.





About a week ago, an idiot, who happens to be a friend of mine, tried to fill it.





Apparently, it made a pretty loud "bang" when it flew...
Sound: Weak Gunshot


Sound: Light Bulb




Sound: Dump

The tank, along with the still deflated Samurai fell into the lake.

At the same time...

Music: Silence


Sound: Photo Snap



This photo!

Wait...
Sound: Realization

So... you're saying that Gourdy...


Sound: Stab 2

...

Music: Detention Center - Jailer's Elegy

...



I'm sorry, Lotta.

Nah, it's okay, you win.



Poor Lotta...



Finally, give us some real info here!

So, tell us this "information" you have.

A promise is a promise, I guess...

I overheard the cops around here saying something about the witness tomorrow...


Sound: Realization

Boat rental...?







Y'all should go check it out.

Thanks, Lotta! We will!

Let's get cracking, Nick!

Hold on.
Sound: Light Bulb

Something else?



My camera clicked twice, you know.
Sound: Realization

...!





Well...



I figured it wouldn't be much use as evidence, so I kept it to myself.

Well, it might not be helpful at all, but...

Here, take it.


Sound: Select Jingle

Lotta you are seriously the worst. I've been wondering about that second photo for months. You had me half-convinced that you just gave one to us and one to the police, and they were both the same. Not only is the first photo of an empty lake - meaning the shot was fired somewhere else - it's actually a full 25 minutes before the other photo! That's an eternity in crime scene time!

Bye now. Y'all take care.



Music: Silence

Lotta fades away, off to pack up her campsite or something. Seems like we're done talking to her either way.

...

Poor Lotta...

It's all Larry's fault.

The legend still lives on, I guess.


Sound: Realization

Yeah, the legend of Larry, familiar to all who know him for any length of time...


Sound: Guilty

And there we go, a callback a long time coming.

Hmm.



With that, we're off to the boat rental shop again, hopefully to find something actually related to the case this time!





Hey, Nick!



You're right.

Doesn't seem to be anyone around at all.

Well, let's go check it out anyway!



Apparently the shack was accessible the whole time, we just needed an excuse to bust in.



I'm not sure what I was expecting, but a parrot wasn't it.


Sound: Shock 2