Celebrating Gyakuten Saiban 4's Nintendo 3DS release! We Ask Takumi Shū This And That About Gyakuten Saiban 4 (2017)

Title: Celebrating Gyakuten Saiban 4's Nintendo 3DS release! We Ask Takumi Shū This And That About Gyakuten Saiban 4 /『「『逆転裁判4』ニンテンドー3DS版発売記念！　巧舟氏に訊く『逆転裁判4』アレコレ」
Source: Famitsu

Summary: Famitsu got the chance to ask Takumi Shū five short questions for the release of the 3DS port of Gyakuten Saiban 4 (Ace Attorney 4 - Apollo Justice) in this article published on December 4, 2017. Unlike his direction/script credits for the previous three games, Takumi was credited as original creator and series supervisor for this game. There are actually few post-Gyakuten Saiban 4 interviews with Takumi talking about this specific game, so in a way, these little short Q&A does feature some new insights that Takumi hadn't really voiced before, especially in regards to what his favorite episode of the game is.

Interviewer: What is the main attraction to Gyakuten Saiban 4 (Ace Attorney 4 - Apollo Justice)?

Takumi: The grand entrance of our new protagonist Odoroki Hōsuke (Apollo Justice), with as "A Trial Opening On A New Chapter" as its key phrase. The main attraction has to be the story of Odoroki, who holds a kind of "hotness" inside of him different from that of Naruhodō Ryūichi (Phoenix Wright). We also developed this game back then while focusing on the scientific investigation techniques introduced in Yomigaeru Gyakuten (Rise from the Ashes), and the surprises sprung upon the player when they investigate the evidence from all kinds of directions.

Interviewer: This is the first game where Odoroki Hōsuke appears. Could you tell us about how he was created and the story behind his development?

Takumi: The starting point of Gyakuten Saiban 4... It all started with the notion that "Naruhodō Ryūichi's story had concluded with Gyakuten Saiban 3 (Ace Attorney 3 - Trials & Tribulations), so let's have a new protagonist this time." As for Odoroki's name, I remember people back then objecting to the character doro (TN: "mud") in his name but I convinced those people with the bright characters of o (TN: "king") and ki (TN: "joy").

Interviewer: Any recollections you wish to share looking back at the release in 2007?

Takumi: The "Lay Judge System" was all in the news back when we were working on the game, and we were given the assignment to include the Lay Judge System as a theme in the game. That is how the Mason System was born. I worked on the story feeling that this new mechanic held a lot of new potential in terms of presentation in mystery games at the time.

Interviewer: What would you recommend about the English localization Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney that is also included in the game? Also, do you yourself play and check the English text?

Takumi: The translation from the Japanese to the English text is done by a staff member who really loves this series. And thanks to her, the English localization has always been very well received abroad. It's fun comparing scenes with the English text to see how they worded it. By the way, my specialty is Japanese, so I leave the English text all up to others.

Interviewer: Do you have an episode in Gyakuten Saiban 4i you particularly like?

Takumi: I have fond memories of the second episode, Turnabout Chain of Street Corners (Turnabout Corner). I had actually come up with the idea long before the first Gyakuten Saiban, around 1995, for a different game project, but it got cancelled completely. So I brought it back to life by rearranging it for Gyakuten Saiban 4. So in a way, it's a very memorable episode to me.