Ace Attorney, the legal drama adventure games, were originally released as Nintendo DS titles, the first three of which came out in 2001, 2002, and 2004 respectively. These three games revolved around main character Phoenix Wright and were critically acclaimed. As an extremely successful property for Capcom, the series would see multiple sequels and spinoffs. The first three games would also see multiple re-releases on different platforms, even being bundled together for a trilogy.
The Ace Attorney Trilogy HD was a bundle of the first three games released in 2012 on mobile platforms, iOS and Android. But the quality of this re-release now pales in comparison to the true HD remake of The Ace Attorney Trilogy made for Nintendo 3DS in 2014 and then released on current gen consoles in 2019.
Capcom is clearly aware of this quality difference, which is why the original mobile version of The Ace Attorney Trilogy HD is being delisted on June 9 this year to be replaced with a new version. Most likely this new version will be an adaptation of the current gen release of the games, as the incredibly popular Nintendo Switch port of the Phoenix Wright games already came with full touchscreen support along with the other HD improvements to the game.
Capcom has said that the game will still be playable for people that have already downloaded it, but it will be removed from the app store and will receive no future updates. Also, any save data from this original mobile version of the game will not carry over into the new version. The mobile version of the game is currently free, although the android version of the trilogy was not released outside Japan. The Ace Attorney Trilogy on all other platforms costs around $30. It is unknown whether Capcom will put a similar price tag on the eventual mobile re-release.
Video game companies such as Nintendo, which the Ace Attorney gained its popularity with, are more often accused of the destruction of video game history. In the modern gaming age of digital downloads and updates that can transform how the game looks and plays. Previous versions of older games can sometimes end up unavailable especially with Nintendo attempting to close down the WiiU eShop. These older games are often replaced on digital marketplaces with the latest remaster which bumps the price up to that of a new game.
This kind of re-releasing, which paves over previous versions of the game, has been equated by some players to a kind of historical erasure, making it so only the latest and most profitable version of a game is available to buy. It also perpetuates the idea that games do not need to be ever truly finished, only continuously updated until they become unprofitable at which point the servers are shut down and games like StarBlood Arena can't be played again.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and is coming to mobile some time after June 9.
Source: TouchArcade