WEBVTT 00:00:03.299 --> 00:00:09.580 order order everyone new frame plus is 00:00:07.029 --> 00:00:11.650 in session by order of the patrons we 00:00:09.580 --> 00:00:14.350 are here to examine the animation in the 00:00:11.650 --> 00:00:17.019 Ace Attorney series so before we begin 00:00:14.350 --> 00:00:19.720 thank you to Marina de Mar is Scout 00:00:17.019 --> 00:00:22.630 hunter 546 and Archie Andrew ski for 00:00:19.720 --> 00:00:24.640 suggesting this very good topic now I 00:00:22.630 --> 00:00:26.619 realized that this might at first seem a 00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:28.570 strange series to make an animation 00:00:26.619 --> 00:00:30.460 analysis video about because the 00:00:28.570 --> 00:00:33.070 animation in the Ace Attorney games is 00:00:30.460 --> 00:00:36.340 incredibly minimal you could even argue 00:00:33.070 --> 00:00:38.710 that it is unnecessary just a flourish a 00:00:36.340 --> 00:00:41.320 light sprinkling of movement over top of 00:00:38.710 --> 00:00:43.450 an otherwise static visual novel but 00:00:41.320 --> 00:00:45.399 however non-essential the animation 00:00:43.450 --> 00:00:47.380 might seem it is still an important 00:00:45.399 --> 00:00:49.809 additive element and it's a big reason 00:00:47.380 --> 00:00:53.110 why Phoenix Wright games have proven so 00:00:49.809 --> 00:00:55.329 memorable game animation is always a 00:00:53.110 --> 00:00:57.309 challenge of delivering the most bang 00:00:55.329 --> 00:00:59.500 for your buck and ace attorneys 00:00:57.309 --> 00:01:01.660 developers have historically had very 00:00:59.500 --> 00:01:03.640 little buck to work with this is a 00:01:01.660 --> 00:01:06.010 series whose visual identity has been 00:01:03.640 --> 00:01:07.840 shaped by its limitations the first game 00:01:06.010 --> 00:01:10.869 was developed by a team of seven people 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:12.820 over the course of just ten months the 00:01:10.869 --> 00:01:15.040 original Phoenix Wright trilogy was 00:01:12.820 --> 00:01:17.290 first made for the Game Boy Advance of 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:20.020 all things and yet despite all that 00:01:17.290 --> 00:01:22.689 these games are loaded with expressive 00:01:20.020 --> 00:01:25.150 characters and silly charm so how do 00:01:22.689 --> 00:01:28.479 these games manage to do so much using 00:01:25.150 --> 00:01:30.430 so very little to start it helps that 00:01:28.479 --> 00:01:33.130 shoot akka me and his team chose the 00:01:30.430 --> 00:01:35.619 perfect presentational format the visual 00:01:33.130 --> 00:01:37.930 novel is an ideal genre for delivering 00:01:35.619 --> 00:01:39.970 an interactive story on the cheap I mean 00:01:37.930 --> 00:01:42.159 all you really need is backgrounds some 00:01:39.970 --> 00:01:44.409 static 2d character art and a text box 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:46.840 and you can't get much more efficient 00:01:44.409 --> 00:01:48.640 than that and if all these games had was 00:01:46.840 --> 00:01:50.439 a handful of static poses and 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:52.270 backgrounds in a text box they still 00:01:50.439 --> 00:01:54.640 would have worked I mean lots of 00:01:52.270 --> 00:01:57.070 successful visual novels have been just 00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:59.860 that but Ace Attorney does not stop 00:01:57.070 --> 00:02:01.600 there the first thing that really sets a 00:01:59.860 --> 00:02:03.450 Saturnia games apart from the pack is 00:02:01.600 --> 00:02:05.829 the quality of their pose design 00:02:03.450 --> 00:02:07.750 characters in these games only have a 00:02:05.829 --> 00:02:09.399 handful of poses each and you're going 00:02:07.750 --> 00:02:12.069 to be staring at those poses for hours 00:02:09.399 --> 00:02:12.870 so they have to be good and they have to 00:02:12.069 --> 00:02:15.209 somehow 00:02:12.870 --> 00:02:15.930 vade the totality of each character's 00:02:15.209 --> 00:02:18.450 personality 00:02:15.930 --> 00:02:21.299 Capcom's artists have to essentially 00:02:18.450 --> 00:02:23.159 take each character and condense all of 00:02:21.299 --> 00:02:25.709 their body language and all of their 00:02:23.159 --> 00:02:29.010 full emotional range down into just a 00:02:25.709 --> 00:02:31.950 few snapshots and these games are so 00:02:29.010 --> 00:02:34.590 good at it all these characters are so 00:02:31.950 --> 00:02:36.659 expressive so many visual novel 00:02:34.590 --> 00:02:38.640 characters will spend their entire game 00:02:36.659 --> 00:02:41.250 standing in these relatively neutral 00:02:38.640 --> 00:02:43.110 poses letting the text and their facial 00:02:41.250 --> 00:02:45.390 expressions do all of the work but not 00:02:43.110 --> 00:02:47.700 these folks just look at the range on 00:02:45.390 --> 00:02:52.500 edge words courtroom posing you got 00:02:47.700 --> 00:02:54.450 neutral smug Stern assertive very 00:02:52.500 --> 00:02:56.910 assertive taken aback 00:02:54.450 --> 00:02:59.239 exasperated that's not a whole lot of 00:02:56.910 --> 00:03:01.890 poses and yet he is larger-than-life 00:02:59.239 --> 00:03:04.739 every one of these characters makes an 00:03:01.890 --> 00:03:06.480 immediate strong impression like you 00:03:04.739 --> 00:03:09.269 don't need to read a single line of 00:03:06.480 --> 00:03:13.859 dialogue from red white to know that you 00:03:09.269 --> 00:03:15.959 hate him here I'll show you see just one 00:03:13.859 --> 00:03:17.489 glance at that pose and that smug 00:03:15.959 --> 00:03:20.430 expression and do you have all the 00:03:17.489 --> 00:03:23.130 information you need heck this game has 00:03:20.430 --> 00:03:24.930 some of the most iconic poses in all of 00:03:23.130 --> 00:03:27.450 gaming you don't have to have played a 00:03:24.930 --> 00:03:30.989 single Ace Attorney game to recognize 00:03:27.450 --> 00:03:32.549 this this brings us to another important 00:03:30.989 --> 00:03:34.379 element that sets these games apart 00:03:32.549 --> 00:03:36.750 their approach to limited animation 00:03:34.379 --> 00:03:39.629 because as you can see these are not 00:03:36.750 --> 00:03:41.489 just static poses compared to a lot of 00:03:39.629 --> 00:03:43.470 their visual novel contemporaries Ace 00:03:41.489 --> 00:03:45.660 Attorney characters actually animate 00:03:43.470 --> 00:03:47.639 quite a bit you see one of the common 00:03:45.660 --> 00:03:49.410 challenges for this genre is that you 00:03:47.639 --> 00:03:51.930 want your visual novel to be visually 00:03:49.410 --> 00:03:53.430 engaging right because static images can 00:03:51.930 --> 00:03:55.739 get pretty boring to look at after a 00:03:53.430 --> 00:03:57.569 while but you got no money so you've 00:03:55.739 --> 00:03:59.519 either got to accept that your games 00:03:57.569 --> 00:04:01.799 just gonna look pretty static and that's 00:03:59.519 --> 00:04:03.959 gonna have to be fine or you've got to 00:04:01.799 --> 00:04:05.970 figure out how to liven things up in a 00:04:03.959 --> 00:04:07.530 way that costs very little and it's 00:04:05.970 --> 00:04:09.989 pretty fun looking around to see how 00:04:07.530 --> 00:04:12.030 many varied solutions different visual 00:04:09.989 --> 00:04:13.680 novels and adventure games have used to 00:04:12.030 --> 00:04:15.840 address that problem because there are a 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:18.510 lot of really creative approaches out 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:20.820 there now in the case of Phoenix Wright 00:04:18.510 --> 00:04:22.860 fully animating these characters on such 00:04:20.820 --> 00:04:24.780 a tight budget and schedule obviously 00:04:22.860 --> 00:04:27.350 out of the question so what the artists 00:04:24.780 --> 00:04:30.110 did instead was work within their key 00:04:27.350 --> 00:04:32.120 poses adding just enough movement to 00:04:30.110 --> 00:04:33.920 keep the characters feeling alive I've 00:04:32.120 --> 00:04:36.200 talked before about the concept of 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:38.210 limited animation which you often see 00:04:36.200 --> 00:04:40.280 deployed in animation for TV which has 00:04:38.210 --> 00:04:43.400 to work on a tighter budget well this is 00:04:40.280 --> 00:04:45.380 basically that but stripped down even 00:04:43.400 --> 00:04:48.050 further down to the barest minimum 00:04:45.380 --> 00:04:50.780 possible so the characters will hit 00:04:48.050 --> 00:04:53.330 these striking poses but then as they 00:04:50.780 --> 00:04:55.610 hold each pose they will continue to 00:04:53.330 --> 00:04:57.950 blink when they speak as their text 00:04:55.610 --> 00:04:59.720 dialogue appears below their mouths will 00:04:57.950 --> 00:05:02.480 cycle through a handful of talking 00:04:59.720 --> 00:05:04.910 shapes and for certain poses characters 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:07.190 will even have extremely limited unique 00:05:04.910 --> 00:05:08.960 animation just one or two additional 00:05:07.190 --> 00:05:11.150 drawings wherever it'll have the most 00:05:08.960 --> 00:05:13.640 impact maybe even on just one part of 00:05:11.150 --> 00:05:16.400 the body like nervous characters will 00:05:13.640 --> 00:05:18.650 visibly sweat detective gumshoe will do 00:05:16.400 --> 00:05:20.600 this heavy breathing which just adds to 00:05:18.650 --> 00:05:23.450 his sense of eager intensity 00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:25.940 dee Vasquez will smoke her pipe Cody 00:05:23.450 --> 00:05:28.250 Hawkins will try and fail to draw his 00:05:25.940 --> 00:05:31.010 toy sword Luke at me will clean his 00:05:28.250 --> 00:05:33.230 magnifying glass thing Franziska von 00:05:31.010 --> 00:05:35.090 Karma will tensely grip the fabric of 00:05:33.230 --> 00:05:37.400 her sleeve just like her dad does by the 00:05:35.090 --> 00:05:39.710 way and they'll add these anticipation 00:05:37.400 --> 00:05:42.230 frames to the poses that really need to 00:05:39.710 --> 00:05:44.510 pop with some more energy like Phoenix's 00:05:42.230 --> 00:05:46.550 accusatory point or the moments where 00:05:44.510 --> 00:05:49.340 Phoenix or Edgeworth slammed their hands 00:05:46.550 --> 00:05:51.260 down on the stand that tiny bit of extra 00:05:49.340 --> 00:05:53.360 animation attention goes wherever it 00:05:51.260 --> 00:05:56.420 will achieve maximum personality or 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:58.400 appeal or comedy like the first time 00:05:56.420 --> 00:06:01.370 you're up against Godot and you see him 00:05:58.400 --> 00:06:03.380 lean forward hand outstretched and a 00:06:01.370 --> 00:06:05.960 coffee mug suddenly slides into his palm 00:06:03.380 --> 00:06:07.880 out of nowhere if that gag is not worth 00:06:05.960 --> 00:06:12.320 a few more frames of animation than what 00:06:07.880 --> 00:06:14.420 is but the real value of this strong 00:06:12.320 --> 00:06:16.490 pose design and hyper limited animation 00:06:14.420 --> 00:06:18.860 is in the ways that they can both be 00:06:16.490 --> 00:06:21.260 used to show a progression of emotions 00:06:18.860 --> 00:06:23.690 over the course of a story this is a 00:06:21.260 --> 00:06:26.210 game of comically exaggerated courtroom 00:06:23.690 --> 00:06:28.700 drama and the posing on this cast of 00:06:26.210 --> 00:06:30.920 absurd caricatures needs to reflect the 00:06:28.700 --> 00:06:33.110 drama of the moment and not just for 00:06:30.920 --> 00:06:35.960 narrative purposes but also for player 00:06:33.110 --> 00:06:37.970 feedback in the context of a virtual 00:06:35.960 --> 00:06:40.010 courtroom visible shifts in a 00:06:37.970 --> 00:06:40.910 character's emotional state are some of 00:06:40.010 --> 00:06:42.950 the clearest 00:06:40.910 --> 00:06:45.230 back the player can get in response to 00:06:42.950 --> 00:06:47.810 their choices like if that last question 00:06:45.230 --> 00:06:50.060 got a big emotional reaction then you 00:06:47.810 --> 00:06:51.980 might be on to something or if the 00:06:50.060 --> 00:06:54.200 prosecution starts looking smug all of a 00:06:51.980 --> 00:06:56.480 sudden now that's probably a bad sign to 00:06:54.200 --> 00:06:59.450 show you what I mean let's look at just 00:06:56.480 --> 00:07:01.790 one characters entire animation set over 00:06:59.450 --> 00:07:04.370 the course of one story and to show just 00:07:01.790 --> 00:07:06.290 how good a Saturnia spin at this from 00:07:04.370 --> 00:07:07.910 the start let's do it with a character 00:07:06.290 --> 00:07:10.970 from the very first episode in the 00:07:07.910 --> 00:07:13.490 series Frank saw it now this particular 00:07:10.970 --> 00:07:16.220 episode opens with a cutscene showing us 00:07:13.490 --> 00:07:18.170 that Frank is in fact the real killer so 00:07:16.220 --> 00:07:20.870 there is no ambiguity going into this 00:07:18.170 --> 00:07:23.900 case we know for a fact that the accused 00:07:20.870 --> 00:07:26.150 our client is innocent and that Frank is 00:07:23.900 --> 00:07:28.370 not to be trusted so when the trial 00:07:26.150 --> 00:07:30.920 starts and it's finally Frank's turn to 00:07:28.370 --> 00:07:34.880 take the stand this is the first pose we 00:07:30.920 --> 00:07:37.040 see look at this suck-up clearly he is 00:07:34.880 --> 00:07:38.630 hoping to come in here sweet-talk his 00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:41.060 way through his testimony and get out 00:07:38.630 --> 00:07:43.760 without a scratch now obviously this is 00:07:41.060 --> 00:07:45.380 not subtle characterization but it's not 00:07:43.760 --> 00:07:47.870 supposed to be this is a game of 00:07:45.380 --> 00:07:50.510 larger-than-life caricatures subtlety 00:07:47.870 --> 00:07:52.310 has no place here and he's already got 00:07:50.510 --> 00:07:54.710 some limited animation happening in this 00:07:52.310 --> 00:07:57.140 first pose just a set of three drawings 00:07:54.710 --> 00:07:59.540 on only his body to allow him to do that 00:07:57.140 --> 00:08:01.610 little sycophantic wiggle and this is a 00:07:59.540 --> 00:08:03.919 particularly great touch because that 00:08:01.610 --> 00:08:06.320 back-and-forth movement not only adds to 00:08:03.919 --> 00:08:08.330 the cloyingly over friendly nature of 00:08:06.320 --> 00:08:11.180 the pose but it also gives Frank a sort 00:08:08.330 --> 00:08:13.130 of nervous energy and of course we know 00:08:11.180 --> 00:08:15.230 why he might be feeling nervous it's 00:08:13.130 --> 00:08:18.200 just two extra drawings but they have a 00:08:15.230 --> 00:08:20.030 big payoff so then the prosecutor asks 00:08:18.200 --> 00:08:21.800 his first question and it's a pretty 00:08:20.030 --> 00:08:24.080 simple little soft ball of a question 00:08:21.800 --> 00:08:26.330 but Frank's response is accompanied by a 00:08:24.080 --> 00:08:28.340 flash and a screen shake the Ace 00:08:26.330 --> 00:08:30.830 Attorney games use these full screen 00:08:28.340 --> 00:08:33.050 effects a lot for emphasis in this 00:08:30.830 --> 00:08:35.479 instance it makes Frank's response feel 00:08:33.050 --> 00:08:38.240 kind of overeager like maybe he replied 00:08:35.479 --> 00:08:39.740 a little too suddenly or too loudly this 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:41.479 is also where we see the additional 00:08:39.740 --> 00:08:43.370 drawings for Frank's talking mouth in 00:08:41.479 --> 00:08:45.440 this pose just his default mouth shape 00:08:43.370 --> 00:08:48.080 and three additional mouth poses playing 00:08:45.440 --> 00:08:49.670 on a loop now as Frank starts giving his 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:51.800 testimony you might notice a subtle 00:08:49.670 --> 00:08:53.080 difference in his animation during the 00:08:51.800 --> 00:08:55.540 moments when he's speaking 00:08:53.080 --> 00:08:58.120 he is still holding that same pose as 00:08:55.540 --> 00:09:00.580 before but as the text appears on screen 00:08:58.120 --> 00:09:03.130 and his mouth flaps the speed of his 00:09:00.580 --> 00:09:05.260 wiggling increases slightly when he's 00:09:03.130 --> 00:09:07.300 beautifully just standing there idle his 00:09:05.260 --> 00:09:09.279 little wiggle animates on twenty frame 00:09:07.300 --> 00:09:11.050 intervals but when he's talking that 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:13.510 animation speeds up so that the drawing 00:09:11.050 --> 00:09:15.310 cycle every 15 frames or so which makes 00:09:13.510 --> 00:09:17.980 him feel a little more active on screen 00:09:15.310 --> 00:09:19.570 and I love this little efficiency the 00:09:17.980 --> 00:09:21.730 artists are altering the character's 00:09:19.570 --> 00:09:23.800 performance just through timing alone 00:09:21.730 --> 00:09:25.300 here without having to add any new art 00:09:23.800 --> 00:09:27.519 and we're gonna see them play with that 00:09:25.300 --> 00:09:29.920 timing a lot more in a second so Frank 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:32.019 gives his testimony and wait a minute we 00:09:29.920 --> 00:09:32.649 find an inconsistency when we call him 00:09:32.019 --> 00:09:34.720 on it 00:09:32.649 --> 00:09:36.850 that's when we see Frank's second pose 00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:38.920 and it's very similar to the first one 00:09:36.850 --> 00:09:41.140 in fact I think the body animation might 00:09:38.920 --> 00:09:43.480 be identical which again hey efficient 00:09:41.140 --> 00:09:45.490 but now his head is tilted downward 00:09:43.480 --> 00:09:46.839 slightly his brows are furrowed he's 00:09:45.490 --> 00:09:48.730 looking a little more worried he's 00:09:46.839 --> 00:09:51.550 starting to sweat and that body 00:09:48.730 --> 00:09:53.019 animation cycle is going even faster now 00:09:51.550 --> 00:09:55.149 the drawings are switching on eighth 00:09:53.019 --> 00:09:57.310 frame intervals plus we're starting to 00:09:55.149 --> 00:09:59.410 see more screen shake on his responses 00:09:57.310 --> 00:10:01.000 he is getting more and more nervous and 00:09:59.410 --> 00:10:03.130 that act he's been putting on is 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:05.440 starting to feel less charming and more 00:10:03.130 --> 00:10:07.390 desperate and does that not feel 00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:09.220 satisfying of course he does come up 00:10:07.390 --> 00:10:10.930 with a lie to dig himself out of that 00:10:09.220 --> 00:10:13.510 hole and he reverts to that original 00:10:10.930 --> 00:10:16.060 smarmy grin but then he gives revised 00:10:13.510 --> 00:10:18.700 testimony and aha another contradiction 00:10:16.060 --> 00:10:20.260 and with another flash and screen shake 00:10:18.700 --> 00:10:22.720 Frank is cornered again 00:10:20.260 --> 00:10:24.550 Phoenix calls him out on this latest lie 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:26.890 and that's when we see a brief glimpse 00:10:24.550 --> 00:10:29.170 of pose number three an expression of 00:10:26.890 --> 00:10:31.510 furious shock kind of like when a cat 00:10:29.170 --> 00:10:33.579 digs their claws into your leg it's only 00:10:31.510 --> 00:10:35.589 onscreen for a second but it's a telling 00:10:33.579 --> 00:10:37.630 sign we are beginning to break through 00:10:35.589 --> 00:10:39.820 the act and there's a little animation 00:10:37.630 --> 00:10:42.100 to this pose too so long as you don't 00:10:39.820 --> 00:10:43.690 blink you might see his toupee flap off 00:10:42.100 --> 00:10:45.130 of his forehead just a little it's a 00:10:43.690 --> 00:10:47.560 little bit of foreshadowing for you 00:10:45.130 --> 00:10:49.870 so Frank digs himself out of this lie 00:10:47.560 --> 00:10:52.029 also but this time he doesn't go back to 00:10:49.870 --> 00:10:54.130 the smarmy pose he sweats through his 00:10:52.029 --> 00:10:55.890 entire third attempt at testimony and 00:10:54.130 --> 00:10:58.420 when we call him on yet another 00:10:55.890 --> 00:11:01.990 inconsistency this time we get pose 00:10:58.420 --> 00:11:04.390 number 4 anger he's shaking his fist the 00:11:01.990 --> 00:11:06.640 screen is shaking a lot on his dialog 00:11:04.390 --> 00:11:08.470 now his eyes are blinking just 00:11:06.640 --> 00:11:11.050 lightly out of sync which mmm that's 00:11:08.470 --> 00:11:13.390 good we are seeing a new side of Frank 00:11:11.050 --> 00:11:15.880 come out the true Frank who can't keep 00:11:13.390 --> 00:11:18.070 his anger in check we've almost got him 00:11:15.880 --> 00:11:20.560 you see what I mean about this animation 00:11:18.070 --> 00:11:22.930 acting as player feedback Frank's 00:11:20.560 --> 00:11:24.400 emotional state and also the emotional 00:11:22.930 --> 00:11:26.440 state of the prosecutor which is very 00:11:24.400 --> 00:11:28.930 fun to watch functions as evidence of 00:11:26.440 --> 00:11:31.060 your progress in this case and these 00:11:28.930 --> 00:11:33.550 emotional outbursts also weirdly 00:11:31.060 --> 00:11:35.860 function as a kind of celebration but as 00:11:33.550 --> 00:11:38.050 you wear the witness down with more and 00:11:35.860 --> 00:11:40.390 more of your very good lawyering they're 00:11:38.050 --> 00:11:42.910 escalating nervousness and anger is your 00:11:40.390 --> 00:11:44.590 reward and if you can manage to keep 00:11:42.910 --> 00:11:49.290 pressing them and break through their 00:11:44.590 --> 00:11:49.290 last few desperate lies then 00:11:50.230 --> 00:11:55.610 the game will celebrate your victory 00:11:52.940 --> 00:11:58.580 with a relatively elaborate meltdown 00:11:55.610 --> 00:12:00.320 this is almost always the most animation 00:11:58.580 --> 00:12:02.570 you're going to see on these antagonist 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:04.850 characters Frank's little toupee throw 00:12:02.570 --> 00:12:07.130 here requires a whopping seven new 00:12:04.850 --> 00:12:09.440 drawings or I guess closer to twelve if 00:12:07.130 --> 00:12:11.960 you include the hair and also Phoenix's 00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:14.000 expression it is no wonder players love 00:12:11.960 --> 00:12:16.279 these meltdowns so much because they are 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:18.560 immensely satisfying moments that you 00:12:16.279 --> 00:12:21.020 worked so hard to earn and the actual 00:12:18.560 --> 00:12:23.600 animation of these moments isn't even 00:12:21.020 --> 00:12:24.950 that impressive by most standards this 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:27.200 would probably be considered kind of 00:12:24.950 --> 00:12:29.630 poor but the over-the-top comedy of the 00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:32.330 outburst still makes for an incredibly 00:12:29.630 --> 00:12:34.460 satisfying surprise but Frank's not done 00:12:32.330 --> 00:12:37.220 yet now that he's had his outburst we've 00:12:34.460 --> 00:12:39.500 got a sixth pose of pure rage and it has 00:12:37.220 --> 00:12:41.720 a lot of movement on it the Frank that 00:12:39.500 --> 00:12:44.450 started this trial is nowhere to be seen 00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:47.060 and when you deliver the final final 00:12:44.450 --> 00:12:49.240 blow the game has one more reward for 00:12:47.060 --> 00:12:49.240 you 00:12:52.310 --> 00:13:02.089 a court case won by knockout that's some 00:12:59.810 --> 00:13:04.790 good lawyering we just did and that's it 00:13:02.089 --> 00:13:06.800 that's all of Frank's animation just 00:13:04.790 --> 00:13:08.749 seven or eight poses with some extremely 00:13:06.800 --> 00:13:11.420 limited movement thrown in for emphasis 00:13:08.749 --> 00:13:13.670 compared to most other hit games that's 00:13:11.420 --> 00:13:16.399 barely anything and yet it achieves 00:13:13.670 --> 00:13:18.499 everything it needs to in fact this 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:20.959 style of limited but exaggerated 00:13:18.499 --> 00:13:23.449 animation is so effective that modern 00:13:20.959 --> 00:13:26.089 Ace Attorney titles are still using it 00:13:23.449 --> 00:13:27.980 the characters may all be 3d models now 00:13:26.089 --> 00:13:29.569 and the snippets of animation may have a 00:13:27.980 --> 00:13:32.269 bit more detail than they used to but 00:13:29.569 --> 00:13:34.809 everything is still built on simple held 00:13:32.269 --> 00:13:37.790 poses accented with extremely limited 00:13:34.809 --> 00:13:39.410 specific motion and I'm actually shocked 00:13:37.790 --> 00:13:41.240 at how well this works in 3d 00:13:39.410 --> 00:13:42.980 granted the models aren't able to hit 00:13:41.240 --> 00:13:44.689 those old poses with quite the level of 00:13:42.980 --> 00:13:47.540 appeal as the original pixel art and 00:13:44.689 --> 00:13:49.420 drawings had but they do get like 95% of 00:13:47.540 --> 00:13:51.860 the way there and the constant use of 00:13:49.420 --> 00:13:53.600 unusually static poses makes the 00:13:51.860 --> 00:13:57.050 flourishes of animation even more 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:59.139 appealing by contrast the animation in 00:13:57.050 --> 00:14:01.970 ASA tourney games is simple and 00:13:59.139 --> 00:14:03.949 impressive all at once aesthetically it 00:14:01.970 --> 00:14:06.439 has to strike this extremely delicate 00:14:03.949 --> 00:14:08.360 balance of adding just enough movement 00:14:06.439 --> 00:14:10.370 to keep things feeling alive and 00:14:08.360 --> 00:14:12.740 expressive without that simplistic 00:14:10.370 --> 00:14:15.769 movement just feeling like bad animation 00:14:12.740 --> 00:14:18.319 to be cheap without feeling cheap 00:14:15.769 --> 00:14:20.600 basically the line between limited 00:14:18.319 --> 00:14:23.329 animation and bad animation can be 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:25.699 extremely thin and Phoenix Wright does 00:14:23.329 --> 00:14:27.740 drift over that line with some frequency 00:14:25.699 --> 00:14:29.779 if I'm honest but when you're posing is 00:14:27.740 --> 00:14:31.819 this strong and when your characters are 00:14:29.779 --> 00:14:34.519 this expressive and their reactions are 00:14:31.819 --> 00:14:37.220 this satisfying I'm not sure any amount 00:14:34.519 --> 00:14:39.319 of clunky animation can ruin that like I 00:14:37.220 --> 00:14:41.269 said at the end of the day the eternal 00:14:39.319 --> 00:14:43.250 challenge of game animation is in 00:14:41.269 --> 00:14:45.709 delivering the most bang for your buck 00:14:43.250 --> 00:14:49.179 and very few teams succeed in achieving 00:14:45.709 --> 00:14:51.679 this much while working with so little 00:14:49.179 --> 00:14:53.329 thanks once again to my patrons for 00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:55.490 choosing this topic this was not a 00:14:53.329 --> 00:14:56.660 franchise I was planning to dig into but 00:14:55.490 --> 00:14:58.670 I'm very happy you gave me the 00:14:56.660 --> 00:15:00.290 opportunity to do so if you would like 00:14:58.670 --> 00:15:01.939 to suggest a topic for a future new 00:15:00.290 --> 00:15:03.500 frame plus episode then consider 00:15:01.939 --> 00:15:05.779 supporting the show like all of these 00:15:03.500 --> 00:15:06.499 beacons of justice over here thank you 00:15:05.779 --> 00:15:08.870 for watching 00:15:06.499 --> 00:15:23.289 I'll see you next time 00:15:08.870 --> 00:15:23.289 [Music]