Review: Starfox Icarus: Uprising

   Hilariously enough, I can pretty much sum up this entire review into a single sentence.
           WELCOME TO THE STARFOX GAME EVERYONE'S ALWAYS WANTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Review: Kid Icarus Uprising

Seriously.  By the end of this review, I will have described exactly the Starfox game people have wanted since assault, except instead of a fox, you have Pit, and Greek gods.  It's an AWESOME game, and I highly recommend it to those who have 3DSs.  So here we go!

Gameplay



For those of you who have played Starfox Assault, the gameplay mechanics are nearly identical, except without a jump button and better in almost every way.

The game is a strange form of a first person shooter, using medieval and magical weapons instead of regular guns.  Each weapon can perform melee and ranged attacks.  Whether you do melee or ranged upon an opponent depends on the distance from your opponent; once you get close enough, your cursor will change shape indicating that you will perform a melee attack.  The advantage of ranged attacks is survivability, as you'll get hit less, and with melee attacks you can perform combos, dealing more damage quicker.  You can do one or both, you can generally use either in most situations, though some bosses and enemies are fought easier with a specific type.



There are all different kinds of weapons you can use, though the one you select at the beginning of each mission is the one you stick with.  You can buy stronger weapons with hearts (the game's currency), or merge them together to change or improve your weapon.

Each weapon has a vastly different playing style.  The club, for example, is mostly a melee weapon that can only perform ranged attacks with a charge attack, but it very strong and can knock away certain ranged shots.  The staff, on the other hand, is mostly a ranged weapon, as it can perform melee damage but sucks at  it, and it's shots deal more damage the farther away the opponent is.  The cannon is a somewhat melee and mostly ranged weapon that shoots large exploding shots.  There are lots of different kinds of weapons, so it's highly likely that you will find one that suits your needs.  All of them look awesome, by the way.

There are three parts to each stage, or level.



The first is aerial combat.   Pit always starts each mission from Palutena's tower, and can fly for a total for of five minutes.  This works almost EXACTLY LIKE CLASSIC STARFOX, except that you can use melee weapons.  The screen moves for you, and you move pit around to dodge and and move the cursor around and hit enemies.



After about five minutes (or whenever the first phase ends), you have the land phase.  Now the controls are ALMOST EXACTLY LIKE STARFOX ASSUALT'S GROUND BATTLES.  Combat works the same except you now move pit forward and backwards instead of up and down, you move the screen, and you can sidestep and use items.



Finally, there's a boss phase.  Every level has a boss, and occasionally you'll fight more than one per level, it just depends on the level.  The combat will depend whether or not it's an aerial or land boss.  Some bosses you fight on the ground, some in the sky, it just depends on the boss.

Even though the phases are almost always in the same order and rarely get moved around, it never really get boring, and it's nice to see so many bosses.  It always makes you feel satisfied upon completing a level.

Difficulty (part of Gameplay)



One of the coolest features of this game is something called "Intensity".  When you begin any mission, you select your intensity, or difficult.  Higher intensity means the damage will be higher and they'll be more enemies and harder attacks, but the rewards gained increase, giving more cause to the extra pain.

It's nice, as usually raising the difficulty just makes things harder with little benefit, but this game rewards you for your hard work, giving you more treasure chests to open, more hearts, and the equipment you find will be stronger.

Overall, the gameplay is REALLY solid for this game.  There are little trophies you can collect, there's a Boss Challenge you can try to do once you've beat the game, and it's both challenging and fun to play.  My only gripe is that there are times where melee weapons are almost unusable, which is annoying, but they are very few and far between.

Story



Despite what you might think, being mostly a combat oriented-game, the story is actually pretty good!  It bounces between different what I'd like to call "Sagas" a lot.  It keeps things interesting, and you end up with quite a few surprises before you finally reach the end.  I actually thought the game was literally 9 chapters long, until I was surprised with a 10th chapter which began a whole new plot.  It even momentarily backs away from plots to others occasionally, and then snaps back again.  It keeps the story fresh, and you always wonder what's going to happen next.

Characters (part of story)

I'm not gonna cover all the characters, as explaining some of them would involve spoilers.  I'm just going to cover the main couple characters.

Pit


Our majestic hero returns from the world of Super Smash Bros to save his own dimension from the terrors that has come upon them!  He also missed his food eaten directly off the ground and the healing hot springs.  ESPECIALLY the healing hot springs.  They're pretty much a couple.

If you thought Pit was annoying in Brawl, you might not think the same of him in this game.   He has the same energetic, kiddish attitude, but things are a little different.  Since he actually talks instead of blurting out small phrases, you get to see the real Pit here...AND HE IS HILARIOUS.   Even the characters in the game make fun of his many stupid moments, obsessions, and his long pre-battle speeches.  He's overdramatic, not in an annoying way, but in a funny way, and you get attached to him pretty quickly.

Palutena


Palutena, the Goddess of Light, and Pit's queen/friend/possible love interest.  She's the one who allows Pit to fly, and seeks to keep life peaceful and happy.  So that means she's a boring, serious, mystical character that is almost always right and wise, correct?



HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No, she isn't at all.  She does have a fairly mature feel, but she's actually quite childish, somewhat like Rapunzel from the Disney movie Tangled.  She's more of a close friend than Goddess to Pit, and she picks on him quite frequently.   The conversations between her and Pit are often some of the funniest.

That's one thing I forgot to mention earlier.  The conversations.  On the bottom screen of the 3DS, or touch screen, occasionally conversations will appear on their during battles, similar to Starfox, Dynasty Warriors Gundam, and such games.  These conversations are how most of the plot and character development is done, and it's very interesting and funny to listen to.  Also, since it happens on the bottom screen, it doesn't clutter up the top screen, so you can still see everything in battle while watching the Gods and Godesses talk with each other and you.

Magnus



Immediately upon meeting Magnus, you know immediately that he is FREAKING AWESOME.  He's the only human character that has importance in the game, but he makes up for it.  He's very tough, serious, and just boss as he wields that way-too-large-to-carry sword.  

He doesn't actually appear that much, but each time is fairly memorable.  There's one time you even play as him, and that's one of the most memorable times of the game in my opinion.



IT'S SUCH A HUGE SWORD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(was literally crying from laughter playing as Magnus)

Dark Pit



Another one of those anti-hero characters...and possibly my favorite of all time.  Dark Pit is unlike any "shadow" character I've ever seen.  He's a more serious version of Pit, but not to the level that Shadow the Hedgehog went.  He's more of a selfish character, fighting for his own ideals rather than others, unwilling to fight for the side of good OR the side of evil.  He is a caring person, and his similarities to Pit do show occasionally, but he tries to hide it frequently, and wants to be something more than just someone's "shadow".  He's really cool, and he's one of my favorite characters in this game.

The World (also part of Story)



The artwork of this game is gorgeous, and it really shows in the landscaping.  This game was heavily based off of Greek mythology, and it works incredible well overall.  The different worlds you travel through aren't just well done and realistic, but sometimes even beautiful.

While playing it and looking around, it occurred to me that the world is fairly reminiscent of Skyrim, and looking at it closer, I realized that it really does.  There are some stages (especially in space), where it doesn't have that same depressing and calm feel, but there are quite a few moments in that game where it really feels that way, and it's awesome.

Music

                     Chapter 6: Dark Pit Music (another reason to love Dark Pit)

Have you guys noticed anything...familiar about this game?  The combat-oriented gameplay, the artstyle, the graphics?  Anything familiar at all?  Just like another popular game which Pit actually starred in...what was it called again?   Oh yeah...


Notice anything...similar?


Yup.  The makers of Super Smash Bros are the people that made this game.  As if you needed another reason to like this game, the makers of possibly the largest collaberation franchise made this game.  Okay, that's cool, but what exactly does it have to do with the music?  It has EVERYTHING to do with the music.

The similarities between Brawl and this game are mostly shown through the music.  The music sounds VERY similar to the music for the Subspace Story in Brawl, and other tracks.   It's fully orchestrated, bar a few space and weird stages, and is really beautiful and epic.  Good job guys, you've done another masterpiece.

Final Rating 10/10

I really don't have any gripes about this game, this is the best presentation I've ever seen of a third-person shooter, or at least in this fashion.  The gameplay is unique, fun, and challenging, the characters are well-developed and lovable, the graphics are worthy of the 3DS, and the music is just awesome.  I didn't even cover the awesome multiplayer battle system, or even half of the vault!



Seriously, there's all sorts of extra stuff to do in this game.  This is just like Super Smash Bros: you'll never grow tired of it.  Even if you've played the heck out of it, eventually you'll want to pick it up again and just have fun, there's always something to do or redo.  If you have a 3DS, buy it, or at the very least borrow it. You won't regret it.

Ace Attorney: Andrew Dalmin

Turnabout Revival - End

   The case ended really well overall, better than I had hoped.  Brea was now completely back on her feet and was now back to prosecuting just as vigorously as ever.   As to whether that is actually a good thing or not, I'll leave that to your discretion, but I honestly preferred multiple various sharp objects being thrown at me then someone ready to commit suicide.

   Aaron, unfortunately, didn't have something major happen.  While his efforts on the case were noticed, his pay didn't increase whatsoever and neither did his rank.  He didn't get fired though, so I guess the case did him some good.   Of course, the case didn't change Michaela's or Brandon's lives at all, bar my slightly happier attitude and the fact that Brandon and I began communicating again.

   Mr. Mambony, while still not admitting to anything, was proven to have committed the murder through a confession of one of his employees, in return for a nicer sentence.  Brea Firehawk prosecuted him of course, and actually found every single one of his cohorts.  As for Adrian...well, no one really cares what happened to him.

   As for me, things were actually looking up.  Having saved someone that seemed impossible to defend, word spread quickly.  While it didn't cover up the massive mistake I made a year ago, I did notice that there were things in my mailbox besides bills.  I was still a long way from living like I used to, but I could now treat myself occasionally.  Maybe I could actually find my own office soon.   But before we close all the case details once and for all, there's one more thing that happened afterwards I should mention.

   It was now about two days after the case had finished, and the sun seemed slightly brighter than usual.  I sat on the couch in Michaela's office, taking a long rest.  Even though it was two days later, that case was the most emotionally straining case I had ever been involved in, beyond the one that ruined my life.   The outburst was especially draining, and now that I could rest, I was taking advantage of it.

   Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door.  I was puzzled for a second, as Michaela was currently investigating something as wasn't going to be back for awhile.  None of her cohorts would be showing up as the sign clearly said "closed"?  Was it for me?

  I opened the door, curious as to who it was, and pretty much fell over backwards.   There, standing impatiently at the door, was Jenna Wolf; the reporter who I had exploded at.  I had honestly hoped I would never see her again, besides maybe a written letter of apology.

 "Uh...hi?" I said nervously, trying to think of a way I could distract her and possibly run.

 "Hey," she said brushing her hair aside.  "You're the lawyer from a couple days ago, right?"

 "Uh, no, sorry.  You've got the wrong guy."  I then slammed the door and ran into my small office.  It was rude, but I really didn't feel like explaining my self.

 I froze as I heard the front door open again.  Apparently she decided to just go ahead and walk in.

 "Nice place you got here," she said, looking around.

 "Yeah...well, it's not exactly mine," I said, picking up the cards I dropped all over the floor.

 "Hmm?" she said, confused.  "You don't have an office?"

  "Well, I sort of do, but it's in someone else's building."

  "Ah."

  She then went to looking around some more, not saying anything.  After a few minutes of weirding me out, she gave a large sigh.

  "This office is SO boring!"

  I looked at her strangely.  Why on earth would she care?  "Uh...okay?"

  "We'll have to make a few changes around here.  A new paint job, and some posters should do the trick!"

  My look stayed pretty much the same.  "What do you mean we?"  She then proceeded to look at ME strangely.

  "Well, you can't have your assistant to do ALL the work around here."

  I dropped all of my cards and fell over backwards again.  WHAAAAAAAAT!!!!!!??????

  "Um....uh..." I said, slowly getting up.

  "Is something wrong?" she said questioningly.

  "Well, uh...first of all...how did you know I didn't have assistant?"

  She laughed.  "Brea's been keeping tabs on you, so I asked her about it.  She told me that your broke, pretty much jobless, and overall pathetic."

  Well, that did pretty much sum things up.  "Okay next....why?"

  She looked confused.  "What do you mean?"

  "Uh...aren't you...mad at me or anything?"

  She nodded.  "Well, of course I was at first.  Having my ears almost blown off wasn't exactly the most pleasant thing that happened all day."

  Owch, that was harsh.

  But then she smiled.  "But then I came back to the second part of the trial to see how things were going."

  So she was there after all.

  She began playing with her hair.  "At first, I thought you were stupid.   Mr. Mambony seemed impossible to defeat, and yet you stood there with confidence."

  Okay, so I wasn't exactly COMPLETELY confident the entire time.

  "Even when I first met you, you searched for every possible explanation otherwise even when everything pointed to her.   You fought against what everyone considered to be an impossible case...and won."

  She smiled again.   "Even though your methods seem stupid and farce...after seeing you in court, your methods interest me.  I want to see it first-hand, and the only way I can do that is by working with you."

  I scratched my head.  "But don't you already have a job?"

  She laughed.  "Are you kidding me!?  I quit that job the second I decided to team up with you.  It was very boring and I'm tired of dealing with annoying people."

  Trust me, THAT'S not going to end anytime soon.

  She held out her hand and winked.  "So what do you say?  Partners?"

  I shuffled through my cards, which what I always do while I'm thinking.  I had to admit, the concept of another person working for me didn't sound bad.  Even before I lost my reputation I had always flown solo, and there were many times where I had wished someone was there to help me out with paperwork and other details.  Perhaps an assistant could be a very good thing for me.

  I shook her hand and gave a small smile.  "Fine, I suppose I could use a team member."

  She grinned and threw off her grey coat, once more revealing the pony shirt.  I proceeded to fall down for the third time.

  "Alright," she said, full of confidence, "We need some supplies!  There's an art shop about 5 blocks from here, let's go!"  She grabbed my arm with the force of a professional wrestler and proceeded to drag me out the door.  Little did I know at the time that this would be the start of the biggest adventure I would ever have.

Turnabout Revival End
 


 

 

Ace Attorney: Andrew Dalmin

 Turnabout Revival - Final Court Phase

   It was time.  I went through the door and went back to my podium, taking one last look at my cards.  Thankfully due to the chaos that ensued, everyone forgot about the fact that I had started it, so there wasn't a series of stares.  Murmuring could be heard throughout the courtroom involving this "new suspect".  Indeed, the concept of a new suspect was intriguing, especially since no reason as to why Brea would have murdered the victim had been revealed.

  However, I didn't get my hopes up too high.  The only link that had been established between this man and the crime was Jenna's testimony, which I had already proved to be unreliable.  The only reason he was being brought to the witness stand was because there currently were no other leads.  I made sure my hair was straight and pointed as usual, and put my cards in my pocket.  The judge slammed his gavel.

  "It is now time to for the court to begin once again."  I noticed he was glancing at me quite worriedly.

  "Your honor?  Is something wrong?"

  "Ehm...I'm sorry..." he said, stuttering.  "I was just worried that...um...you might...uh..."

  I sighed.  Worry, thy name is Judge.

  "I apologize to the court for my sudden outburst, but I assure you it was all with the best of intentions," I lied.  Didn't want the court thinking I was going insane or something.

  "Right..." the judge said, gathering his wits.  "Uh...where exactly were we again?"

  "After Dullmin's absolutely RUDE incident," Adrian said, more insulted by the fact that someone actually yelled at him than anything else, "the possibility of another culprit has been mentioned.  As ludicrous as this claim is, it will be quite enjoyable to see the defense's pathetic attempts at saving this clearly guilty woman."

  I glared at him.  No one talks to one of my friends and gets away with it...even if that friend tends to harm me in various different ways.  Mr. Mambony was obviously the murderer, time to turn things around.

  "Bailiff, bring in the witness!" the judge declared.

 _________________________________________________________________________________

  When you thought of a crime boss, Mr. Mambony would not be your first option.  Granted, he had the overall look about him: the prideful look, the expensive jewelry, and the black suit...but he had a large round nose, a curled mustache, and overall he was about 4 feet tall.   Seeing such a grand look on such a silly man was so ironic...not that I was about to say it out loud.

  Adrian did a small hair flip.  "May the witness reveal his WONDERFUL name and-"

  "Say that again, and you won't have a house to sleep in tonight," Mr. Mambony said nonchalantly.  I guess threats were common for someone like him.  Hilariously enough, Adrain instantly began cowering under his stand.  That was a sight I'd remember for years to come.

  "Please give us your name and occupation," said the judge, obviously freaked out.

  "Mr. Mambony.  Owner of the bar in question." he said, refining his mustache.

  "Um...first name?" the judge said questioningly.

  "Does a 'New Judge Wanted' need to be posted outside the courtroom?"  Mr. Mambony said, turning his back to the judge.

  The judge hid under his desk.  I shook my head; was I the only sane one here?

  "Give us your testimony," I said, shuffling my cards.  "Tell us what you were doing on the night of the murder."

  "Hmm..." Mr. Mambony said, his back still turned.  A minute later, he slowly turned around, arms crossed.  "Simple and to the point.  Mr. Dalmin, it appears there is someone to be respected here.  Very well, I shall give my testimony."

  I breathed a sigh of relief.  Finally, we were getting somewhere.

  "THERE you are!" said Aaron, dashing to my stand.  "Where were you?"

  "In court on time." I said, smirking.  "Where were you?"

  "Uh..." he said, fidgeting with the button on his jacket.  I rolled my eyes.  20 bucks says he was staring at Adrian's party crew.

  "S-so what was all that about earlier?" he said, obviously changing the subject.  "Wasn't that a little uncalled for?"

  I sighed, "I'll explain later.  Right now we have a cross-examination to do."

  "Oh," he said, surprised.  "Who is it?"

  Apparently I was wrong earlier.  100 bucks says he was staring at the girls.

Witness 2 Testimony

   "I saw Brea Firehawk shoot the victim.  That is all."

  Aaron, the judge, and I all dropped our jaws simultaneously.   Not only was this the shortest testimony I had ever heard in my life, but it gave next to no information.  



  "Sir...isn't your testimony a little...lacking?" I said, my brow furrowing quite deep.  His face remained as nonchalant as ever.

  "I will make this as simple as possible," he said, refining his mustache again.  "Firehawk is the one who committed the murder, and there is no way you can change that."

  Still confused, I was about to ask for a little more information, when Adrian suddenly began chuckling.  I froze.  This couldn't be good.  Not at all.

  He shook his head.  "My first non-so-fabulous witness...the one in which your outrage was upon...was proved to be quite unreliable."

  Damn, I knew that was going to come up.

 "Fact is, Mr. Dullmin, he is the most reliable witness we have."



    I slammed a card onto the desk.  "What are you talking about?  We called you up because you were the only person describes on the scene.  I'm sure there could have been someone in the bar who-"

    A gunshot rang throughout the room, and the whole room instantly fell silent.  All eyes flew towards Mr. Mambony, who had a gun pointed at the ceiling.  What he just did probably wasn't legal, but who was going to question a possible crime boss?

   "It appears stupidity still reigns in court," he said, his face same as ever.  "Tell me, Mr. Dalmin...who would be willing to testify in this court?"

   "Well..."

   I froze as the sudden realization hit me.  My hands opened wide, and the sound of many cards hitting the floor rang throughout the courtroom.

  "A...Andrew?" Aaron asked, looking worried and confused.

  He was right.  No one at the bar would be willing to testify.  Half of the people there were probably his employees, and the other half would be too afraid to talk.  Jenna didn't mention seeing any one else in the alleyway, so no one but her witnesses it from the alleyway itself.  Since I had destroyed Jenna's testimony, he was the only witness that could be trusted.

  It wouldn't matter if further investigation was released.  The change of day wouldn't matter, no one else would speak.  Also, if any evidence still existed at the crime scene, Mr. Mambony's "cohorts" would have removed them by now.

  "I....o-o-object..." I said, trying to think of anything I could work off of.  Nothing came.

  Adrian laughed.  "That's quite the pathetic objection.  Is the defense giving up?"

  By now, everyone had figured out the truth.  Everyone was silent, there wasn't anything to say.  

  "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

  I slammed my head down on the table.  I had failed, beaten for such a simple and stupid reason.  I was pathetic, so pathetic...

  Suddenly, I heard nothing but the sound of my own heartbeat.  Apparently, I had hit my head on one of the cards, and had awakened my mind's eye.  Frustrated, I raised my head to see where the card was so I could go back to normal.  For some stupid reason, I felt like I should look up, so I did.  There I saw Mr. Mambony's one card, his main point he had already presented.  Nothing unusual there.  I looked back down.

  Wait.

  I quickly raised my head back up, and focused on the card.  Hold it...something wasn't right.  The card was there alright, but it was...different.  There were lots of scratches, it was all crinkled, and the side were incredibly rough.  I massaged my forehead trying to figure what it all meant.  Wait...could it be...

  I closed my eyes and shut off all my senses.  I stood completely still, blanking out everything except my mind.  I felt like my soul had been separated from existence, and the only thing left was my conscience.

  The card wasn't usual, that much was certain.  It was damaged badly...why would that be?

  His Claim Was Weak.

 The only way that would make sense was if his one card was very shaky.   But wait, his claim was impossible to break...wasn't it?  Wait, now was not the time to fall back, now was the time to attack.  Why was his claim weak?

  There Was a Witness.

 Okay, so we have to assume his claim was false.  So wait, what exactly was his claim again?   That no witness existed, right?  But if he was simply lying, the card wouldn't be that weak.  That must mean that...

  The Witness Has Decisive Evidence.

  The witness's testimony would have to include decisive evidence to prove his claim wrong so badly.  So who is this witness?  Who would have been there at the crime scene, been smart enough to have decisive evidence, and yet despite having such power, not be considered a threat?




  BREA IS THE WITNESS.


  I fell over backwards, cards flying everywhere.  My consciousness melded with my body once more and I was back in reality.  Everyone stared at me; even the judge, just about to lower his gavel.   It was so much to take in...I couldn't believe it.

  Of course, of COURSE!  How had I not seen it before?  Brea, even though being mentally weak and depressed, was still one of the most professional prosecutors I had ever known.  She was obviously at the scene of the crime since she was found there, so she must have seen the murder.  However, mere words wouldn't have been enough, and she definitely would have known that.  She always carried a camera with her, in case she happened to stumble upon such an incident.  She would have taken a picture...

   

   All my years of experience, my raw emotion of understanding that flew through me, and the desire for the safety of my comrade came out in the loudest objection I had even uttered.  My posture was perfect, my pointing finger felt like it was blazing with fire.  I was back.

   I chuckled.  "I apologize, Adrian, I just needed a little warm up.  How was that objection for ya?"

   Adrian was sweating bullets.  Not just out of shock, but out of worry.  My sudden burst of courage was not what he had expected.

  "That was...unusual..." he said, shivering.  I smirked.  His face was priceless.

  I turned towards Mr. Mambony.  "Who will be willing to testify to the court?  I don't just think I know, I KNOW who will be willing."

  He still kept his calm look.  "You must be more absurd than the worst excuse for a prosecutor over there...who is this person?"

  "Yeah!" the judge said, shocked, but strangely excited.  "Who is this witness?"

  I raised one of my cards for the whole court to see.  On it was a picture of Brea's face.  The court went into an instant uproar.  The judge pounded his gavel continually under it quieted down a little.

  "Mr. Dalmin, why the defendant?"

  "Yeah, Andrew!" said Aaron, looking rather ambitious.  "Why!?"

  "Because," I said, grinning, "She's the most reliable witness we have.  I'm sure you all remember her history well.  Brea started out as a photographer before becoming a prosecutor.  Even to this day, she always carries a camera with her."

  I nodded to the judge.  "Let's say hypothetically, she wasn't the murderer.  If Mr. Mambony committed as Jenna Wolf claimed, she would have seen it correct?"

  The judge nodded.  "Yes...many people in the bar claimed having seen her go in the alleyway around the time of the murder."

  I straightened my hair.  "So, your honor, would Brea have watched it happen without doing anything?"

  The judge shook his head.  "No, she probably would have taken a pi-"

  His eyes opened wide.  "Mr. Dalmin, are you suggesting-"

  "I am.  The defense believes that the defendant has decisive evidence!"

  Aaron's, the judge's, and Adrian's mouths all held open.  The crowd went into another uproar.  Mr. Mambony still stayed the same.

  "Mr. Dalmin..." he said, for once not messing with his mustache, "Do you really think I would leave myself so open?  If such a decisive witness existed, they would be...taken care of."



  I shook my head.  "I argue the opposite for two reasons.  One, she was a mafia boss as well, and last I checked she still has connections.  The second you would have attempted that, her own "employees" would have counter-acted, and by that point you would become more suspicious."

  I held up Brea's card again.  "However, that doesn't mean you had to worry about her.  This is my second reason.  After the loss of...a friend, Brea became mentally unstable.  I'm sure you were aware of that, as I'm sure have spies.  All it would take would be one finger pointed at her, and she would collapse.  Once she became blamed her of murder she fell apart, and became blind the power she held in her own hands.  The bomb would never go off, you would be safe."

  Mr. Mambony looked slightly irritated, and turned to the judge.  "Your honor, give your verdict now.  This man is just wasting the court's time."

  "Y-yeah!" Adrian said, still shaking. "G-give us the verdict."

  Surprisingly, the judge shook his head.  "As much as I would like to be done with this case, the possibility of the defendant carrying such important evidence can't be overlooked.  Your testimony gave almost no information, and Ms. Wolf's can't be trusted...that means that Ms. Firehawk's testimony, with this new possibility in mind, actually has greater potential than your testimony."

  Mr. Mambony's face changed, and actually had a slight look of worry.  The judge nodded to the bailiff.

  "Bailiff, bring out the defendant!"

  The bailiff looked really worried.  "Uh...sir?"

  "What's wrong?" said the judge, confused.

  Suddenly, the door to the courtroom literally exploded.  Splinters of wood flew throughout the room and the door handle hit Adrian square in the face.  It was actually a good thing it did....what he would've seen next would have sent him running straight to mommy.

  Where the door used to be, stood a demon.  It was a woman that was about 5 feet tall, though she it seemed like she was tall as a skyscraper.  Fire seemed to be coming from her eyes, and her whole body appeared to be steaming.  In one hand, she held the biggest flail I had ever seen.  In the other hand, she held what young children would call a "Bazooka".   I swore Mr. Mambony jumped about 20 feet in the air.

  YOU...YOU...YOU BLAMED ME...ME...FOR MURDER.
MURDER.

  What was said next cannot be repeated as there are some who might find such language rather unpleasant.  However, let it be known that the originally fearless man had the facial expression of someone about to be run over by a tank, and screamed like a little girl watching a monster movie.  It pains me greatly that I can't reproduce it perfectly, and for years to come, I would almost never laugh as hard as I did that day.

  Brea was now back to her old self, and just as I had suspected, Brea had a perfect photo of Mr. Mambony shooting the victim.  The witness was taken into custody immediately, and Brea Firehawk, my old rival, was declared "Not Guilty".  I had won.

  However, the story of my revival is not over.  One more thing happened the next day that would change my fate forever...

 
 



 











 

 
 







 

Ace Attorney: Andrew Dalmin

   Turnabout Revival: Recess

   An hour recess had been declared.  Generally recesses that long weren't granted, but this was a special case.  My outrage created absolute chaos.  Everyone was fighting with each other, yelling at each other, and it became apparent that it would take some time for everyone to gather themselves.   Aaron was looking around everywhere for me, a million questions rushing through his head.  Where was I you ask?  Repeatedly hitting my head against a pole outside the courthouse.

    I was so foolish.  Believing that I could stay the same after a year of being trash underneath everyone's feet.   For years I knew I had the potential, that the scars of my past had created rage within me.  It was there, but I was strong enough to conceal it, and still managed to smile and stay strong even when my gut was twisted inside out.

   That one year was all it took.  When Jenna's final testimony came, I simply couldn't take it.  The sight of one rebuking another's friendship was simply too powerful.  It might not even been meant in that way, but it didn't matter.  Power and energy flowed through me and I lost all control.  I had become a monster.

  I hit my head again and again, even when my mind began to go numb.  What I had done, no matter how innocent I was, was inexcusable.  The things I had yelled at Jenna broke every single thing I believed should never be said, and the pain was unbearable.  How could I be so-

  "If you hit your head on that pole much longer, we might have to have another trial for murder."

  I spun around quickly, praying inside that it wasn't Jenna.  It wasn't, and in fact, was someone I didn't expect."

  "Brandon?  What are you doing here?" I said, confused.  Brandon was the same as usual: a bland suit and crossed arms.

  "I was in the audience.  I was interesting in seeing how you would handle your first trial in a year's time."

  "Oh..."

  Brandon gave me a stern look.

  "Andrew, what is done is done.  Your reaction was simply unavoidable.  Now stop beating yourself up and focus on what you have to do now."

  "Hold on a second."

  I gave myself one last punch to the face.  Not to beat myself up with, but to relieve some more stress and clear my head.  Brandon was right; Brea still wasn't acquitted yet.  I could easily find more poles after court was done.  I put my glasses back on and straightened my hair.

  "Alright...sorry about that." I said, my mind clear once again.  "Thanks."

  "Hmph," he said, ending the topic in his own way.  "I have something of importance to tell you.  Remember what Jenna said right after your outbreak??"

  I pulled out my cards and shuffled through them.  "No, not really...I left almost immediately afterwards."

  Brandon adjusted his glasses using only the tip of his pinky finger.  "A new suspect has been found."

  I dropped all of my cards.  Out of all the things he could have said, that wasn't what I was expecting.

  "You're serious?"

  Brandon sneered.  "Mr. Mambony, owner of the bar.  Jenna told the police she saw a small man with a large nose and mustache running into the bar when she arrived on the scene.  I took some time to obtain information, and he appears to be quite the dangerous person.  Multiple dealings with the mafia, possibly even a mob boss.  Further investigation shows that Brea and his mafia cohorts against have fought against each other before, Brea actually prosecuted against him in another murder case once."

  I began picking up my cards.  "So you're saying he has a clear motive?"
 
  Brandon nodded.  "Little to no evidence has been found so far proving he was there."

  I put my cards away and put my jacket back on.  "I need to pull it out of him on the witness stand?"

  Brandon nodded, then began walking back towards the courthouse.

  "Come, court is about to start again.  I am guessing you do not want to run into Wolf, so I will make sure we go in unnoticed."

  I ran after him, finally back to my senses.  Sometimes, it was nice to have a friend that was as nonchalant as Brandon.  Time to take down the mafia.

 

 

P.G. Brody's Reviews: Pokemon X and Y

   Here we go guys, the review I've been waiting incredibly impatiently to do and the review that some of you really want to see!    Pokemon X and Y!

                       P.G. Brody's Reviews




Graphics



First off, I HAVE to cover the graphics.  For going straight to 3D models from pixels, they weren't lazying about.  This photo was taken with a camera, meaning that the graphics are actually better than in this photo.



Everything about the graphics was done wonderfully.  The battle animations are awesome, the 3D models look as they should, and everything it just grand.  You know how boring the Pokemon Center generally is?  Well, when you talk to the lady who heals your Pokemon, you'll see the scene from one of about 4 or 5 different positions!  That may sound like minor positives, but they're everywhere here, and they just add up and add up and add up.

Music

This might be, in my opinion, the best Pokemon music done yet (bar Youtube).  It's now mostly orchestration with a nice mix of natural game music, and it blends very well.  There's even some metal guitar in certain parts, which is pretty neat if you ask me.

Also, THEMES.  Certain characters have special themes in this game that only play when they are around. There are four I can specifically think of, and there might be more I'm either missing or forgetting.  And not only that, each one is awesome!

Characters

In my opinion, this game has the most well-developed characters yet.  The gym leaders and elite four are still on the low side with a few cool ones, but all the main characters are awesome.



Professor Sycamore is by far the most interesting out of all the Professors.  Granted, in the TV series, I like Oak better, but game-wise, Oak really didn't have much personality.  Sycamore does, and it shows.

In most Pokemon games, the Professor wasn't really that important over all.  He or she was the person you met at the beginning and end of the game, and beyond that they served next to no purpose.  Diamond and Pearl changed that, with having Rowan show up every now and then, but then they went back to boring for Black and White.

Guess what happened this gen?  Professor Sycamore is one of the person you will see the most throughout the entire game.  He shows up to check on you occasionally, gives you helpful items, and even has some important and deep things to say occasionally.   Not to mention that his theme is SO awesome.  This was the first time that I was actually excited when I saw the professor.  Well done, Game Freak.



The rivals are also something they changed in this game.  You technically have four rivals in this game.  From left to right is Shauna, the small, energetic and childish female, Tierno, the fat kid that loves to dance, and Trevor, the short, highly intelligent boy who is focused on filling the Pokedex.



The fourth character is your actual rival, or in other words, the base trainer opposite of the gender you chose.  Hilariously enough, I didn't figure that out until AFTER I beat the game.  She had enough personality that I actually thought she was her own character design.

The main change in this game is that they aren't exactly your rivals.  Bar the fourth member, the others almost never battle you.  They're more "companions", fellow trainers you hang out and meet up with you throughout the story.  They really add a lot to the story, and is in my opinion, the best rival setup ever done in Pokemon.



I would talk about team Flare, but I don't want to give any spoilers, as some of you are probably going to buy the game eventually.  All I will say is that keep your opinions about the team to yourself until AFTER you've beat the main story line.  This may not have been the best team ever, but it's certainly my second or third favorite.




The new Pokemon designs are pretty cool, in my opinion.  These are just a picture of a couple random new Pokemon I chose because I needed a visual, and even these, while not amazing, are pretty good.  They only go up from here.  They're creative, unique, and more fitting to the environment.   Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Kalos



Now for the region itself.  This is, by far, my favorite Pokemon region of all.

This was another minor gripe I had with a few of the other regions.  Most of them, while having minor differences, looked exactly like other regions.  They had their differences, but the land themes were the same, always having a perfect balance between nature and technology, and it really didn't ever seem unique. Black and White actually got a little bit more interesting, as it seemed to have more big cities and buildings, like a more industrial region.

Kalos is exactly what you'd imagine it to be in the Pokemon world: France in the Pokemon World.  The buildings are more elegant, there's a lot more nature, and overall it's much more mystical and beautiful than most of the other regions.

They still kept with the same variations.  Water land, freaky land, ice land, that sort of thing.  But unlike other games, they seem different from their usual selves.  They are nicely blended with the French atmosphere, and while the cities are quite different, they are unified nicely by the elegant and beautiful landscape.  The whole ride through, it feels like you are in the Pokemon version of the country it's based off of, and that is exactly how you should be feeling while playing a Pokemon game.

Fairy Type



Now that I'm done reviewing the basic aspects of the game, it's time to review the special new features the game has, and we'll start with the new type.

As I mentioned before, I believed this game was going to fix the Metagame a little bit.  It actually did better than I thought.  Weather was nerfed, so Sandstorm isn't as effective as it used to be, Ghost types got a nice boost, and other things that I mentioned earlier.  Now what about the fairy type?

One of the original thoughts many people had was "is fairy type going to change anything?"  It was a little shaky, as not very powerful Pokemon seemed to be getting it, and people were beginning to wonder if it would become another weak type...they were more wrong about that than anything else.

The fairy type DESTROYED the dragons.  I have fought against many fairy types, and they NEVER were easy.  Pokemon that use to be amazing were single-handedly slaughtered by this new type.  Supereffective against Dark, Fighting and Dragon, and weak to only Steel and Poison, they are something to be feared.

I am very excited to see results of this.  While fairy-type seems to be quite a lot like the original dragon type, they really aren't.  They have few weaknesses and powerful advantages, but the Pokemon themselves are not overpowered in the first place, like many dragons were.  They brought down the dragons while still having average stats, meaning that they took down the almighty dragons without replacing it with a new overpowered type.  YES.

Super Training



I'm sure most of you have heard about EV training by now.  A hidden mechanic that allows you, through a little more effort, to make your Pokemon surpass its normal limits.  Over the years it has become well-known as is considered more than necessary for any Pokemon team.

However, EV training has always been a boring process.  The only way to obtain them was through killing certain Pokemon over and over and over and over AND OVER AND OVER until you couldn't get that Pokemon out of your head for the next ten minutes.  Black/White tried to fix this with simply finding feathers, but it took even LONGER to do that than the original process.

Then, for Pokemon X and Y, Game Freak created Super Training.  Super Training is basically obtaining EVs in the form of a minigame.  Not only is it fun (and sometimes addicting), but you can do it pretty much right from the start of the game, play it ANYWHERE AT ALL, and it's absolutely FREE.  You can eventually be able to earn +12 evs in a stat per minigame (generally taking less than a minute), which would generally take about 5 Pokemon battles or about 2000 Pokedollars.

In short, THIS IS AMAZING.  For the first time ever, it's actually FUN to ev train Pokemon!   I was actually looking for a Pokemon that I didn't even use to ev train it because I wanted to play the games again! Just another new positive to add to everything I've said already.

Pokemon Amie



To the left of the Super Training option on the bottom screen is Pokemon Amie.  Pokemon Amie is essentially another step in the direction of making you feel like you actually own Pokemon.   You can pet your Pokemon, play minigames with your Pokemon, and feed your Pokemon treats (obtained from the minigames).  Not only is this fun for those who want to feel like they own a pet, but there's one more cool effect.

It actually affects battle.  If you've treated your Pokemon well enough, special things can happen.  They might simply take a hit without taking damage, or deal extra damage, or who knows what.  It not only gives those who want the best teams another way to make them stronger, but it gives a reward to those who enjoy using Pokemon Amie.  Another successful feature to add to the list.

Mega Evolutions



Mega Evolutions, another thing I covered in my pre-game review.  I was excited to see what potential it had, and to see what Pokemon got it.  I was already excited about Venasaur, but who knew what else was coming?  There probably were a few more...

I woke up on the day it came up and checked Serebii...and found about 20 MORE MEGA EVOLUTIONS.  Not only wasn't I expecting them, but THEY WERE FREAKING AWESOME.  Certain weaker Pokemon becoming usable, other stronger Pokemon getting cooler (and becoming broken XD), exactly what I was hoping for.

Allow me to explain them a little further.  Mega Evolutions are not permanent evolutions.  First, you need a stone that corresponds to the specific Pokemon in question (a Venasaurite for a Venasaur, etc).  Once you equip it to your Pokemon, anytime you start a battle, an option is added to the battle screen.  If you click on it, you will be brought to the attack screen.  When both of you select your attack, before anything else happens, that Pokemon will evolve into it's Mega Form (with a cool animation to boot), and then battle proceeds as normal.  You can also only use one Mega per fight, which some might consider annoying, but I think it's a good way of balancing things out.   As for the Megas themselves, they return to their original forms once the battle is done.  

So what exactly does becoming a Mega change?  It changes the Pokemon's appearance, stats, and abilities while it is a Mega.  This is what has fixed certain Pokemon.  As I mentioned before, Venasaur obtains Thick Fat, meaning he's somewhat usable.  Mawille went from being unusable to possibly being banned for being over-powered with the addition of it's Mega.  It's really a genius concept, and I'm so happy they created it.

PR Videos

This is what I assume is one of the special places like the Pokemon Contests from the 3rd and 4th gen.  However, I actually know nothing about this XD.  I've been so obsessed on going through the game and enjoying myself that I completely bypassed it.  If you wanna know what it is, look on Serebii.

Final Score: 10/10


Yup, you're seeing it right.  I'm giving this game a straight 10/10.  This game is quite good among Pokemon standards, incredible among normal game standards.  There are next to no faults with it, and those that are there are minor gripes that I don't really care about whatsoever.  I bought my 3DS because I heard this game was going to be on it, and I don't regret it one bit.  This might become my favorite Pokemon game of all time.

Just a few more days!

Wow, Pokemon X and Y is almost here guys!  In case you couldn't figure it out, I am really excited for this release.  In today's post, I am going to explain what all exactly I am looking forward to.

3D

I'm not talking about the 3D capability, I'm talking about 3D models.  Until now, every main Pokemon game has consisted of sprites, even when they had the capabilities to do otherwise.  Now, it's finally going into the third dimension, and I am really excited for that.

The Kalos Region



This is actually the first time I've ever been excited to see the next region itself.  This time, instead of just making another region like the others, this one is based off of France.  Not only am I interested because I've never been to France, but I'm interested to see the differences between this region and all the others.  All of the other regions before have always seemed kinda similar, so I'm interested to see if this changes anything.

Mega Evolutions(VENASAURVENASAURVEN)


The concept of Mega Evolutions is very intriguing to me, and I am incredibly excited.   To explain it simply, allow me to give you a list of Pokemon that are getting Mega Evolutions: Venasaur, Charizard, Mawille, Ampharos...notice a pattern?  THEY ALL SUCK.

 I'm excited for this, because most of the Pokemon that used to stink horribly finally have a chance to redeem themselves.  Charizard lost his massive Stealth Rock weakness, Amparos has a furry coat, AND VENASAUR CAN SMILE AGAIN.
VENASAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUR

...ahem.  Anyways, I'm excited.  And yeah, some stronger Pokemon also got Mega forms too, but Pokemon actually made up for that.  From what I've heard, the Lucario and Blaziken Mega stones are unique and hard to obtain.  Granted, the Pokemon is still OP, but it's nice to see that a little more effort is involved.

Mega Venasaur


Wait...I covered this already...

Customization

This was a bone I had to pick with all the other games.  In the older games, while you could choose to be a certain type of trainer, you only got a certain sprite for that kind of trainer.  To me, that's like the kind of chat in certain online games where you can only pick from a list of words.  It's pointless and irritating.  Yeah, I could understand why they didn't in the oldest games, but by Black and White they CERTAINLY had the capabilities of doing that with little trouble.

But now, it's finally here.  Your can change your clothes, your hat, and I think you can even choose your hair style.  Neat!

Story 

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, no, not really.


Fairy Type

 

 Yet another thing they haven't done in awhile...a new Pokemon type!  Supereffective against dragons, and gives poison another reason to exist!  Pretty cool, if you ask me.  There's not any specific new fairy types that have caught my eye yet, but that could change.

Breaking the Metagame

This is something that I was honestly hoping for, and something that I didn't think they'd actually do.  While they haven't fixed it completely, they certainly have shown efforts of doing so.  The new fairy type balancing certain types out more, mega evolutions empowering certain pathetic Pokemon, and some interesting new additions to the whole set.

This is one of my greatest pet peeves in the Pokemon series: lack of balance.  In Digimon, for example, almost all of the Digimon are balanced.  No Rookie is naturally stronger than another rookie, it completely depends on how well you trained them.  Even the claimed "more powerful" Digimon still aren't much more powerful than others.   You could use the lowest evolution level possible for a Digimon, and still have 999 in all stats.  It takes work, but is possible, and it makes you feel welcome to choose any Digimon you like.

This is where Pokemon fails.  Over 3/4 of fully-grown Pokemon suck.  Either they have terrible movesets, terrible typing, terrible stats, or just terrible all together.  I understand why: they're trying to promote certain Pokemon above others.  The problem that arises is that there are so many Pokemon I'd want to use, but can't if I want to have any chance at all in serious battles.  Venasaur, for example.  I've always loved his design, and he was my first Pokemon as a kid.  So when I got into the meta game, and found out he was weak to more than 4 different types...it was frustrating.

However, now Mega Venasaur has "Thick Fat".  As silly as that ability sounds, it basically removes two of his weaknesses: Fire and Ice.  The fact that two weaknesses were vanquished alone is pretty sweet, but those two happen to be two of most commonly used move types.  Coincidence?

Point being, they are showing effort in balancing things out, and that makes me really happy.



That's pretty much it, and in my opinion, more than enough reason to be really excited.  I'll make sure to post a review of the actual game after having gone through it.  Seeya guys later!

Ace Attorney: Andrew Dalmin

Turnabout Destiny: Court Phase 1

    Destiny: one of the greatest mysteries known to man.  The idea that our fates are scripted, that every decision we make is along this straight path with no exits or entrances.  That no matter what we think, everything we do and what we will become could be told to us through dreams and magicians, and no matter we think, we can't change our future.

   I personally don't believe in destiny, or at least as it's considered.  I believe that our God gave us free will, thus our futures are up to us.  There are billions of different possible futures for each person, only one of which will happen, depending on the choices we make in our lives.  Therefore, we can't simply expect to do nothing and become rich, despite some fortune teller saying otherwise.

  However, that doesn't mean you can completely change who you are either.  You are who you are, and you decisions will reflect that to some degree.  It takes more than just effort to revert who you are, which is why temptation is often hard to overcome, due to involving our personal desires.

  That's where I found myself in the morning.  Despite telling myself I'd never go back, that I'd never take up the badge again, that I'd never be able to save anyone, I found myself looking over my notes, grabbing my briefcase, and determined to save the life of a dead friend.  A week ago, if you had asked me if I would ever become a defense attorney again, I would've simply laughed.  Impossible, ludicrous, silly.  And yet here I was, doing just that.

  I tried to get mad at myself, tried to feel doubt, tried to tell myself to turn around.  And for awhile, I did. Even while talking to Brea, telling her I'd stop this, I still felt a small bit of doubt inside.  But in the morning, it was all gone.  No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop myself.  I was not going to lose this case, I simply could not.

  The sound of the gavel echoed through the courtroom   Time to begin.

  "The trial for former prosecutor Brea Firehawk shall begin!" the judge proclaimed.

  He looked confused at me for a second, and then pleasantly surprised.

  "Hey, it's the laughing guy!"

  I face-desked accordingly.  The prosecutor snickered quietly.  Stuck-up little brat.

 "It's Andrew Dalmin," I said, slightly annoyed.

 "Oh, I'm sorry," the judge said, surprised.  "I'm not very good with names.  Last week I visited my nephew, and I couldn't seem to-"

 "Can we please begin the proceedings?"

 "Oh!  Of course.  May the prosecution make their opening statement?"

 "Absolutely, your honor," he replied.  "I would say my name, but, heh, there's not much point, as everyone obviously knows it."

 "Uh...yes!  Absolutely!" the judge said, obviously having no idea what his name was.

  "Anyways, I am here to provide the court with fabulous evidence that absolutely proves just how guilty the lowly defendant is.  That is all."  He did a small hand motion, and all the females in the jury cheered.  I wonder how many punches it would take to break that pretty face?

  "I shall present to you, my one and only amazing witness," he said, bowing as if he had just finished an amazing performance.

  The judge blinked.  "Only one witness?  I'm not sure how I feel about that...are you sure that's enough to make the defendant guilty?"

  "Of course!  The wonderful Adrian only needs one witness, as he is, after all, the wonderful Adrian."  He gave another hand gesture, and thus, more screams.

  "Very well then," the judge said, nodding.  "Please bring in the witness."

  As I had expected, the witness was Jenna, and she had her old, boring jacket on.

  "Please give your fabulous name to this wonderful audience!" said Adrian, gesturing to the crowd.

  "My name is Jenna Wolf, and I'm the tv reporter for the local tv station," she said in a very normal tone of voice.  Guess she really was back inside her shell.

  "Ah, yes!  I remember seeing you." the judge said.  "Please give us your testimony."

  My grip on the table tightened.  In my previous conversation with her, she had made it very clear that Brea couldn't have done it.  I had hit her hard enough that she would probably lean more towards my side of the argument, a very advantageous standpoint.  Time to see what she's got.

TESTIMONY 1 - Jenna Wolf

I was walking by the alleyway on my way back from work a few days ago.
Right when I passed it, I heard a small noise coming from the alleyway.
Originally, I figured it was just a small animal, but then I heard a loud scream.
Worried, I peeked in, and I couldn't believe what I saw.
It was a dead man...and Brea Firehawk, holding a gun right next to him.

  "You were right," said the judge, nodding.  "That certainly was an 'amazing' testimony."

   "Of course!" said Adrian, bowing.  "The lousy defense attorney seems to think so as well."

   "Hmm?" the judge said, looking my direction.

   At the moment, the bottom of my jaw was pretty much hitting the booth.  It certainly had to do with the testimony, but not because it was "amazing".   Jenna's testimony wasn't helping Brea...in fact, it was hurting her further than her original lies had!  What the heck had happened to her!?

   I slammed my fist down on the table.  It rang so loud that everyone in the Courtroom jumped, even Mr. Pretty boy.  Everyone turned and looked at me strangely.

  "Uh..." I said, embarrassed.   "Sorry, I'm having minor digestion issues."  I decided to get back on task.  "May I begin my cross examination?" I said, pulling out my cards.
 
  "Umm...sure, go ahead," the judge said, collecting himself.  "Please begin."

CROSS EXAMINATION 1 - Jenna Wolf

Testimony: It was a dead man...and Brea Firehawk, holding a gun right next to him.

 HOLD IT!

 "Can you please give us some more details?" I asked.

  "Sure," she nodded, "What do you wish to know?"

  "Are you sure it was the defendant?"

  "I'm positive.  She was wearing her usual outfit, all black with red fur."

  I swore under my breath.  She really had thought this testimony through, she even mentioned her precise outfit she was in at the scene.  Time to change tactics.

  "So tell me, are you sure she was holding a gun?"

  "Yes," she nodded again.  "I have it right here."  She pulled out a shotgun out of her purse.

  The judge almost jumped.  "Whoah, that's a pretty large gun?  Are you sure that's one that was used on the victim?"

  Adrian nodded.  "We checked the markings on the bullet that was found at the scene.  It matched the markings on the gun, and was tested, fabulously of course.  The test confirmed that it was the victims blood, and further tests on the gun showed that the defendant's pathetic fingerprints were on the gun!"

  Lots of commotion came from the crowd.  Adrian bowed once more.

  "That, my judge, is my amazing evidence."

  "That is pretty decisive," said the judge, nodding.  "Does the defense has any objections?"

  "Uh.." I blurted.  I had walked right into the prosecution's stupid trap.  I felt like continually hitting my head on a wall.  But now was not the time to admit defeat, now was the time for contradictions.  I looked through my cards, looking for anything useful.  On my second round through the cards, I noticed something a little odd.  Curious, I decided to check something.

Testimony:  Right when I passed it, I heard a small noise coming from the alleyway.

   "Are you SURE it was a small noise?" I asked, looking at her right in the eyes.

   "Y-yes," she said, sounding a little uncertain.  That was exactly what I was looking for.

 

   Adrain laughed.  "Really, Mr. Dullmin, you're objecting to a small noise?"

   "Actually, I am," I nodded.  I looked towards the judge.  "Your honor, have you seen how powerful a shotgun is?"

   "Why yes, I have," he said, nodding.  Then he suddenly looked worried.  "N-not that I have ever used one before.  Honest!"

   I grinned.  "No worries, your honor, I expected no such thing.  Now, what noise did the shotgun make?"

  "It was very loud...OH!" the judge almost jumped out of his seat.  The prosecution did too, surprisingly.

  "That's right your honor," I said, slamming the card with the picture of the gun on the booth. "If Brea really fired this shotgun as the witness claims, then it couldn't have been the one she heard, as it was a quiet noise!"



  Adrian chuckled.  "Well, maybe it was silenced!"

  I nearly face-desked again.  "Silenced?  A shotgun!?  Are you kidding me!?"

  The judge shook his head.  "Even if that somehow were possible, this gun shows no signs of being silenced."

  Adrian nearly screamed.  I couldn't believe it.  He really missed that?  Brandon would have had some reasonable excuse for why she heard a small noise, he actually didn't have a backup plan?   A loud commotion came from the jury, and the judge had to quiet them down.   Finally, we're heading in a right direction.




 This time it was from Jenna.   "Your honor," she said, back to her usual self, "Can I change my testimony?  There's something I forgot to clarify."

  "Uh...sure!"  The judge said, a little surprised.



  "What kind of excuse could she possibly have!?" I said, a little stupified.



   "Mr. Dullmin," Adrian said mockingly, "Did I not say her testimony was 'amazing'?  Of course she has a reason for the small noise!  That's why it's 'amazing'!"

  If only throwing bricks at prosecutors was legal...

TESTIMONY 2 - Jenna Wolf

  Forgive me...I just remembered something else.
  When I peeked in, the gun she was holding wasn't the shotgun...it was a small pistol.
  She probably fired it before I showed up, and the victim must have taken it from her.
  Then, using her last resort, she pulled out a small silenced handgun, and bang!
  That's why it was a quiet noise.  The rest of my testimony from before stands.

  The judge nodded.  "That sounds reasonable...was a silence handgun found on the scenes?"

  "Absolutely!" Adrian answered.  "With Brea's fingerprints, nontheless.  A small bullet was also found that shared ballistic markings similar to the small handgun."

  Commotion came from the crowd again.  To them, it apparently seemed sound.

  "Wow, you're not doing so well, are you?" said the incredibly uplifting Aaron.  "Sorry I'm late, I decided to sleep in this morning."   He looked at me, and then suddenly looked concerned.

   "Andrew...you alright?"

   "Huh?" I said, confused.

   "Your fists were clenched real tight, and you were grimacing...are you okay?"

   "Uh...yeah, just small digestion issues.." I said, in a not-so-convincing way.  To be honest, I didn't know how I was feeling.  Something about me just didn't feel right...was I feeling anger???

  CROSS EXAMINATION 2 - Jenna Wolf

   That's why it was a quiet noise.  The rest of my testimony from before stands.

   HOLD IT!!!

   "You're certain she fired the handgun?" I asked, curiously.

   "Yes, I am," she nodded.  "It was that exactly model."

   "Mr. Dalmin, is there something wrong with the witness's testimony?" the judged asked curiously.

    TAKE THAT!!!

   "Actually, there is," I said, laying a card on the table.  It was one of the few pieces of evidence I obtained from Aaron.

   "This is a picture of the wound in the victim's head.   Notice anything strange about it?"

   "No," the judge said, still not getting the picture, "It's just a normal bullet hole."

   "Exactly!" I said, slamming my hands down on the booth.  "Jenna claims that her old testimony stands, and yet this information clearly contradicts her old testimony!"



   "You must be joking," Adrian said, laughing.  "What about her old testimony doesn't make sense?"

   

    "Remember?  She clearly stated that the defendant was standing right next to the victim.  If she really fired the bullet that close, it would've left a burn mark!"

   The judge looked shocked.  "B...but there's no burn mark there!"

   The crowd began to roar again, and the judge slammed his gavel to quiet them down.

    

  Adrian laughed, but this time nervously. "So-so what?  She probably just messed up that part of her old testimony too!"

 

  "Not this time Adrian," I said, looking very serious.

  "W-what?"

  "I have definite proof that the shotgun was the murder weapon!"

  "That's not possible!"

  Aaron grinned.  "Hey, that's the piece I gave to you!"
 
  I returned the smile.  "Yes, it is.  I'll make sure to treat you to lunch sometime."

  I pulled out a piece of paper.  "I have here a unique piece of evidence.  Curious about the murder weapon, I asked my companion to obtain the size of the bullet hole."  I held it out for everyone to see.  "The black dot on this paper is the exact size of the bullet hole."

 

   "What does the size of the bullet hole have to do with anything?" Adrian said, sweating bullets.
 
   "It has everything to do with this case!  May I please have the bullet shot from the pistol?"

   The bailiff gave it to me, and it placed it directly on top of the circle.

   "See?  The bullet is a little smaller than this hole.  Now, Adrian?"

   "Y-y-yes?" he said, knowing what I was going to ask.

   "May I please have the bullet shot from the shotgun?"

   Quivering, he gave it to the bailiff, who gave it to me.  The results were exactly as I expected.  The bullet fit perfectly over the circle.

   "As you can see, the shotgun was obviously used to commit the murder!'



  "So what?  What does that change?" Adrian said, calming himself.



  "It means that Jenna's testimony is bogus!  Even if we still consider her old testimony, not only was the sound quieter than it should have been, but there wasn't a burn mark either, so Brea did not shoot him at close range, like Jenna claims!"

  The judge had to quiet the crowd again.  Man, the crowd is jumpy today.

  "I hate to be critical, Ms. Wolf, but your testimony is beginning to sound very suspicious," the judge said.  "Can you explain yourself?"

  Really?  As if she could actually...

   "I can explain myself."

   "...Andrew?" Aaron said, looking very worried.   I was literally shaking with frustration.  My whole mind felt like a burning hell.  Never before had I felt so enraged at someone.  What was happening to me?

TESTIMONY 3 - Jenna Wolf

  Forgive me...once more I have forgotten something.
  When I first saw them, she wasn't holding a gun...it was a knife.
  She had just finished stabbing him.  She hadn't noticed me, and decided to do a little cover-up.
  She walked away a few steps, then fired the shotgun.
  She then dropped the shotgun, grabbed the pistol, and then shot the wall, as to confuse things even more.
  That's when I called the police.

  No one said a word.  Even Adrian knew that testimony sucked.  She was trying to vindicate both of her previous testimonies, both of which had obvious faults, as did this one.  Heck, even the autopsy report contradicted this.  It clearly stated it was death by gunshot.  But no matter what excuse I may have pulled up, no matter how many objections I made...nothing could vindicate me from what happened.

  Both of my hands pounded the desk, so loud it echoed throughout the courtroom.

  "JENNA, WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"

  Jenna jumped up, as did everyone else in the courtroom.

  "THAT WAS THE WORST TESTIMONY I HAVE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE!!!!"

   "A...Andrew?" Aaron said, trying to comprehend what had just been said.

   "HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY LIVE AS A HUMAN BEING WHEN YOU'RE ACTING LIKE THIS!!!???"
 
    Jenna broke into tears.  Adrian looked disgusted.

   "How dare you insult my amazing witness?"

   "SHUT UP PRETTY BOY!!!!" I yelled, whirling around.  He then managed to jump ten feet in the air, and then hid under his booth.

   The judge didn't approve.  "Mr. Dalmin, that is badgering the wi-"

   "YOU WANNA FIGHT, OLD MAN!!!!????"

   "AAHHH!!!" The judge screamed as he too hid under his booth.  I whirled back around towards Jenna.

   "I WANT ANSWERS, NOW!!!!!"

   "W-w-wh-" Jenna stuttered, full of tears.

   "TELL THIS COURT WHAT YOU REALLY SAW RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME I WILL-"

   That did it.  Jenna snapped.  She went from weeping to pouring.

   "B-b-b-b-bwea d-d-didn't k-k-kill him, I s-s-saw a s-s-small m-man s-s-shoot the v-v-victim!"

   Now the whole court snapped.  Everything became chaos.  This sudden burst of information mixed with the various emotions filling the room was too much.  No one knew what to think anymore.  People were yelling at each other, the judge was continually pounding his gavel, and Adrain appeared to be crying and sucking his thumb in the corner.  Aaron looked around, trying to find me, but he couldn't.  I had ran out of the room.