Layton-kyōju VS Gyakuten Saiban
Encyclopedia
is an upcoming crossover
adventure
puzzle video game being developed by Level-5
and Capcom
and published by Capcom for the Nintendo 3DS
. The game will be a crossover between the Professor Layton and Ace Attorney adventure series featuring their respective lead characters, Professor Hershel Layton and Phoenix Wright (Ryūichi Naruhodō). The game will feature scenario designs from Shu Takumi
, the series director for the Ace Attorney series. The game will combine the trademark puzzles and contradictions themes from Professor Layton and Ace Attorney respectively.
, along with their respective assistants Luke Triton and Maya Fey, find themselves in a different world from their own, where they find the strange medieval city known as Labyrinth City has been victim to a number of impossible occurrences recently. The town is allegedly home to witches who hide in the shadows, and is supposedly controlled by an evil villain known as the Story Teller. Central to the plot is a young girl named Mahoney who is accused of witchcraft. As Phoenix decides to defend Mahoney in a witch trial, Layton seeks to figure out the mystery behind Labyrinth City, with the two not always seeing eye to eye.
, head of Capcom's R&D Management Group, was "80 per cent certain" that Takumi would refuse the idea. However, according to Inafune, Hino was able convince Takumi to accept the idea, giving him creative control as the main scenario writer for the project.
Inafune stated the game is a true collaboration between the two companies jointly sharing in the effort, as opposed to the licensing of characters by one company; he felt that "we wanted to create a great history, which would have been impossible if both parties were not fully involved". Hino recognized that fans of both series would "want to see a showdown" between the lead characters as well as sections where the two "join hands and take on a really big challenge". Both Level-5 and Capcom are contributing towards the game's development, though Capcom is specifically handing the visual design while Level-5 will publish the game. The artwork style used is a mix between the detailed visuals from the Ace Attorney series and the flatter cartoons from the Layton games; the mixed style is a result of a drawn-out trial-and-error process to figure out how best to mix the two conflicting styles. The game will support the 3D effects on the Nintendo 3DS console; though Level-5's developers have already worked with this feature in the release of Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracles in 2011, this will be the first Ace Attorney game to support that feature. Takumi was initially hestitent of this feature, but has since come to appreciate it, realizing that the 3D visuals "[let] us present the action from different angles and really [expand] the freedom of expression we have" with the courtroom parts of the game.
The game was first hinted at as a crossover between Capcom
and Level-5
by Inafune, who was talking to Japanese business magazine Diamond prior to the Tokyo Game Show
2010, where he mentioned that he had great respect for Akihiro Hino, the CEO of Level-5
. On September 25, 2010 the game was outed on Twitter
when Jiro Ishii of Level-5 accidentally tweeted to Jin Fujisawa of Square Enix
, "Huh? Oh, Gyakuten XX. I'm making it, with Mr. Takumi!" in Japanese. This led to rampant speculation of a new Ace Attorney game being developed by Level-5, similar to how new Capcom games from established franchises are being developed externally, such as DmC
being developed by British developer Ninja Theory
. The mistake was quickly covered up by Jiro Ishii who tweeted later that day that, "A misunderstanding seems to be spreading, so let me say that I'm currently working only on Time Travelers" Yo Oizumi
and Maki Horikita
, who voiced Professor Layton and Luke in previous games will reprise their roles, whilst Phoenix and Maya will be voiced by Hiroki Narimiya
and Mirei Kiritani
, who are also playing their roles in the upcoming Gyakuten Saiban
live action film.
The game has currently only been announced for release in Japan, with Capcom currently gauging interest from the community over whether or not to localize it for other territories. In July 2011, Level-5 International America Inc. conducted a Facebook
poll in which fans were asked what currently Japan-only Level-5 game they had the most interest in. Professor Layton Vs. Ace Attorney ultimately won the most votes, with over 7,000. Although the game has yet to be officially announced for release outside of Japan, an English-language press release from Capcom at Tokyo Game Show
2011 hints as such.
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
adventure
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
puzzle video game being developed by Level-5
Level-5
is an independent video game developer and publisher based in Fukuoka, Japan. The company, which currently employs about 200 individuals, was founded in October 1998 by Akihiro Hino after he departed from the now defunct Japanese developer Riverhillsoft...
and Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
and published by Capcom for the Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
. The game will be a crossover between the Professor Layton and Ace Attorney adventure series featuring their respective lead characters, Professor Hershel Layton and Phoenix Wright (Ryūichi Naruhodō). The game will feature scenario designs from Shu Takumi
Shu Takumi
Shu Takumi is a Japanese video game developer working at Capcom who is the main developer of the core Ace Attorney series, serving as director and scriptwriter for each game...
, the series director for the Ace Attorney series. The game will combine the trademark puzzles and contradictions themes from Professor Layton and Ace Attorney respectively.
Gameplay
The game will feature a combination of gameplay elements from both the Professor Layton and Ace Attorney series. As Professor Layton, the player will face off against various puzzles whilst trying to solve the mystery of Labyrinth City. As Phoenix Wright, players will take part in 'Witch Trials' using evidence and wits to find contradictions in witness statements and prove the innocence of his client. This time however, Phoenix will often have to question multiple witnesses at a time, requiring him to find which of their statements contradict each other. The game will feature voice acting and animated cutscenes, a staple in the Professor Layton games but a first for the Ace Attorney series.Plot
The game takes place in a different universe from the existing Professor Layton and Ace Attorney universes. Both Professor Layton and Phoenix WrightPhoenix Wright (character)
Phoenix Wright, known as in original Japanese language versions, is a fictional defense attorney in Capcom's Ace Attorney video game series. As of , the series has sold 3 million copies and is Capcom's 11th best-selling series of all time. Phoenix has been featured as the main protagonist in three...
, along with their respective assistants Luke Triton and Maya Fey, find themselves in a different world from their own, where they find the strange medieval city known as Labyrinth City has been victim to a number of impossible occurrences recently. The town is allegedly home to witches who hide in the shadows, and is supposedly controlled by an evil villain known as the Story Teller. Central to the plot is a young girl named Mahoney who is accused of witchcraft. As Phoenix decides to defend Mahoney in a witch trial, Layton seeks to figure out the mystery behind Labyrinth City, with the two not always seeing eye to eye.
Characters
}}, a professor who likes to solve mysteries through a series of puzzles.}}, the professor's apprentice who assists him on his journeys.}}, a defense attorney who finds himself defending a woman accused of witchcraft.}}, a spirit medium-in-training and Wright's assistant., the main villain of the game. Whatever story he writes with his pen becomes reality., a girl accused of being a witch., a prosecutor in the witch casesDevelopment
The game was officially announced at the Level-5 Vision 2010 press conference on October 19, 2010. The game was originally an idea that Akihiro Hino, CEO of Level-5, came up with and a project that he himself proposed to Capcom, sometime after some initial development work had been completed on the project. Jun Suzuki, the producer for the Layton series, noted that Hino was a huge fan of the Ace Attorney series and even had challenged Suzuki to "produce something on par with Ace Attorney" while developing the Layton games. The idea came as a surprise to Shu Takumi, series designer for the Ace Attorney series. Keiji InafuneKeiji Inafune
is a video game producer and illustrator. He was the former head of Research & Development and Online Business and Global Head of Production at Capcom, best known as the illustrator and co-designer of the character Mega Man, as well as the producer of the Onimusha and Dead Rising video game series...
, head of Capcom's R&D Management Group, was "80 per cent certain" that Takumi would refuse the idea. However, according to Inafune, Hino was able convince Takumi to accept the idea, giving him creative control as the main scenario writer for the project.
Inafune stated the game is a true collaboration between the two companies jointly sharing in the effort, as opposed to the licensing of characters by one company; he felt that "we wanted to create a great history, which would have been impossible if both parties were not fully involved". Hino recognized that fans of both series would "want to see a showdown" between the lead characters as well as sections where the two "join hands and take on a really big challenge". Both Level-5 and Capcom are contributing towards the game's development, though Capcom is specifically handing the visual design while Level-5 will publish the game. The artwork style used is a mix between the detailed visuals from the Ace Attorney series and the flatter cartoons from the Layton games; the mixed style is a result of a drawn-out trial-and-error process to figure out how best to mix the two conflicting styles. The game will support the 3D effects on the Nintendo 3DS console; though Level-5's developers have already worked with this feature in the release of Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracles in 2011, this will be the first Ace Attorney game to support that feature. Takumi was initially hestitent of this feature, but has since come to appreciate it, realizing that the 3D visuals "[let] us present the action from different angles and really [expand] the freedom of expression we have" with the courtroom parts of the game.
The game was first hinted at as a crossover between Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
and Level-5
Level-5
is an independent video game developer and publisher based in Fukuoka, Japan. The company, which currently employs about 200 individuals, was founded in October 1998 by Akihiro Hino after he departed from the now defunct Japanese developer Riverhillsoft...
by Inafune, who was talking to Japanese business magazine Diamond prior to the Tokyo Game Show
Tokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
2010, where he mentioned that he had great respect for Akihiro Hino, the CEO of Level-5
Level-5
is an independent video game developer and publisher based in Fukuoka, Japan. The company, which currently employs about 200 individuals, was founded in October 1998 by Akihiro Hino after he departed from the now defunct Japanese developer Riverhillsoft...
. On September 25, 2010 the game was outed on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
when Jiro Ishii of Level-5 accidentally tweeted to Jin Fujisawa of Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
, "Huh? Oh, Gyakuten XX. I'm making it, with Mr. Takumi!" in Japanese. This led to rampant speculation of a new Ace Attorney game being developed by Level-5, similar to how new Capcom games from established franchises are being developed externally, such as DmC
DmC (video game)
DmC Devil May Cry is an upcoming action game developed by Ninja Theory and published by Capcom for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It will be the first title in the series not to be developed internally at Capcom...
being developed by British developer Ninja Theory
Ninja Theory
Ninja Theory, Ltd. is a video game developer based in Cambridge, England. Originally founded as Just Add Monsters in March 2000, the company was purchased by former Argonaut Games CEO Jez San in November 2004...
. The mistake was quickly covered up by Jiro Ishii who tweeted later that day that, "A misunderstanding seems to be spreading, so let me say that I'm currently working only on Time Travelers" Yo Oizumi
Yo Oizumi
is a TV personality and a stage actor based in Hokkaidō. He was born in Ebetsu and has been living in Sapporo since 1984.He first made a name in Hokkaidō-based TV variety series called “Suiyō Dōdeshō” and has been actively appearing on various media programs in Hokkaidō since then...
and Maki Horikita
Maki Horikita
is a Japanese actress and endorser. She debuted in 2003 as a U-15 idol and has since starred in Japanese television dramas, television and magazine advertisements, and movies.- Childhood:...
, who voiced Professor Layton and Luke in previous games will reprise their roles, whilst Phoenix and Maya will be voiced by Hiroki Narimiya
Hiroki Narimiya
, better known as , is a Japanese actor.-Early life:He was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. His parents are Okinawan, so he is of Okinawan descent. His parents divorced when he was young, and in his third year of junior high school, his mother died and he and his brother were raised by his...
and Mirei Kiritani
Mirei Kiritani
-Filmography:*Hanazakari no Kimitachi e *Otomen *Kimi ni Todoke *Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac *Snow Flake *Usagi Drop *Gyakuten Saiban...
, who are also playing their roles in the upcoming Gyakuten Saiban
Gyakuten Saiban (film)
is an upcoming Japanese theatrical film based on Capcom's Ace Attorney video game series, which is being directed by Miike Takashi. The film stars Hiroki Narimiya, Mirei Kiritani, and Takumi Saito, and is scheduled to be released in Japanese cinemas on 11 February 2012.-Premise:Based primarily on...
live action film.
The game has currently only been announced for release in Japan, with Capcom currently gauging interest from the community over whether or not to localize it for other territories. In July 2011, Level-5 International America Inc. conducted a Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
poll in which fans were asked what currently Japan-only Level-5 game they had the most interest in. Professor Layton Vs. Ace Attorney ultimately won the most votes, with over 7,000. Although the game has yet to be officially announced for release outside of Japan, an English-language press release from Capcom at Tokyo Game Show
Tokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
2011 hints as such.