Part 117: Episode 5, Prologue: Mirror
Part 117: Episode 5, Prologue: Mirror
Bonus episode time! Since this episode was made for the Nintendo DS, rather than the Game Boy Advance, I'm curious to see what will be different. Probably less cartridge limitations? I'm sure the HD remake I'm playing made it look more the same as the others, too.
...
Okay, right away the opening cinematic is faster and more dynamic than previous episodes. Screenshots and animations are not going to do this one justice, so I really recommend you watch this video link to see it for yourself. It's only 45 seconds long.
Music: Rise from the Ashes
Sound: Scary Thudding
Knocking? Is that a door or a window flying by?
Sound: Rain
A larger city than I thought we were in, and apparently a rainstorm.
Sound: Rain + Thunder
Ok, a thunderstorm. (I've come up with a new notation for simultaneous sound effects here, to distinguish it from two successive sound effects. I'm sure it will only matter to me.)
Sound: Rain + Thunder 2
Sound: Thunder 2
Looks like we have a good old-fashioned stabbing on our hands today. The music really kicks in here, though the official soundtrack includes all the earlier sound effects from the very start of the update. Really, just go watch the video.
Sound: Thunder 2
...Or is it two stabbings, at different locations, at the same time?
Sound: Thunder 2
And we're back to looking out over this large city again.
Sound: Rain + Thunder
Sound: Toss
Sound: Spinny
Sound: Shatter 2
Sound: Guilty
Uh, potentially a lot to unpack in that one, if you're inclined to watch it over and over. That broken vase in particular reminds me of the broken glass lamp in Episode 2.
Sound: Thunder 3
So, is this scene like Episode 2, where we saw the killer? Or is it like Episode 4, where we saw our future client? I'm betting more on the latter. Is that even the same person's hand on the knife there?
Music: Recollection ~ The SL-9 Incident
With the new track kicking in, the prologue opening scene is over, but I'll keep the update going until we're given full control. Just to recap for you, in that 40 opening seconds we had two new tracks, eight new sound effects, and way fancier animations. They didn't waste any time making use of the extra space on the DS cartridge, did they?
Two months without a single trial. I've had offers... But none I took.
I hope Edgeworth paid well, two months is a long time to go without paying work again. I guess he's just not feeling up to it with Maya gone.
Music: Silence
Still the same old office! I bet we'll get a lot of new sets later in this episode, though!
(It's not like I want to work...)
Sound: Light Bulb
(I'm kind of relieved to hear the old stand-by light bulb effect, to be honest.)
Sound: Whack
New character!
Music: Ema Skye ~ Turnabout Sisters Theme
... ... Um... who are you?
It doesn't matter who I am! It only matters who YOU are!Music: Silence
Sound: Damage 2
Okay, that line was truly great.
...
... ...
Sound: Realization
Music: Ema Skye ~ Turnabout Sisters Theme
I'm sorry but Ms. Mia Fey no longer... works here.That's one way to put it.
This lady just won't stand still.
I'm Phoenix Wright... A defense attorney.
Sound: Light Bulb
I swear I'm not trying to animate all of her lines, but she keeps moving around on me. Have you counted the unique sprites yet? And she has her own theme music? I smell a major character here.
You're THE Phoenix Wright!?
Um, yes, that's correct. (It wasn't Edgeworth who was murdered, though.)Hey look, we got a little bit of fame out of that last case. Technically, Phoenix, we did solve the murder of an Edgeworth in that case as well!
I'm sorry... I'm afraid I'm not taking cases right now.
The undefeated defense attorney? Look, I'm not accepting any new cases. I'm sorry, but you'll have to try elsewhere.
Sound: Whack
But...
Sound: Realization
Music: Silence
Sound: Wipe
Sound: Light Bulb
Sound: Wipe
... Okay. I'll hear you out.
R-really!?Sound: Light Bulb
Thank you so much!Music: Ema Skye ~ Turnabout Sisters Theme
(Scientific investigator?)Sound: Realization
In case you haven't figured out the incredibly un-subtle pattern here, Ema Skye is a Maya-Mirror.
She's almost the same age, but a science-assistant for us instead of a spirit-assistant. She needs help with her sister, who is probably the client rather than the victim this time. Even her soundtrack shares the "Turnabout Sisters Theme" name, and sounds like an alternate version of Maya's track. And if you look closely, a lot of her sprites either match Maya's, or are mirrors of them:
I don't know, maybe I've just been staring at sprites for too long. Anyway, I'm sure we'll find out more as we go along. Is Ema here to just be a replacement/alternate Maya? Or will the theme pay off as the plot unfolds somehow?
Anyway, next time we'll begin our investigation and learn some more about Ema Skye.