It's hard to call it a 'game', because there isn't very much to distinguish it from a normal Visual Novel. Perhaps it is too dumbed down, but this was a GBA game. Accessible for the kids.

Ace Attorney's 'Gameplay' is basically a puzzle game. The Detective sequences are where you look for the puzzle pieces, and the court sequences are where you figure out where to put the puzzle pieces. Most of the time you have to keep going back and forward to get more puzzle pieces until it's complete.

Then they build a story and dialogue around those puzzle pieces, and we have a game. Despite the puzzle pieces you have as evidence, your prosecutor will somehow find a way to cast doubt on it until you put it all together. It did get kind of annoying for me at first how you would find a supposedly definite piece of evidence, and they turn it against you.

However the Japanese game is called "Gyakuten Saiban", which means "Turnabout Trial". I think the English names of the cases actually use "Turnabout" in most of the titles. It wouldn't be much of a Turnabout if you're not in some kind of disadvantageous situation in the first place.

This whole 'Turnabout' thing is also a staple of Shonen manga/anime. DBZ, Naruto, Kenshin, Death Note, etc... they always seem to get beat up or seem to be losing, then they 'Turnabout' and win. Adds drama that's easy to understand for the younger folks.

It's not rocket science, and it's not meant to be. I can understand if one is looking for more, but this is the wrong place to look. The first 3 games are all GBA ports. Hopefully by time we get to the 4th game, built for the DS, it will be more fulfilling.