Kara Dennison
March 21, 2021 
Big news for Ace Attorney fans this year: the game series’s annual orchestra concert is going global! Viewers worldwide can purchase a ticket and enjoy the music of the expanded game series. And, of course, that has us thinking about just how much we love the soundtrack.
There are too many good songs to try to list… so instead, we’re taking a look at what about the soundtrack as a whole does it for us. Though we’re definitely here to hear which specific tracks are your favorite! In the meantime, here are the moments when the Ace Attorney soundtrack just hits right:
When a character motif kicks in
Ace Attorney pays a lot of attention to its characters’ personalities — their look, their distinct voice, and the music that follows them around. Lots of your favorites have their own musical motif that kicks in when they’re onscreen, making for some of the games’ most memorable tunes.
In particular, we’re fond of “Turnabout Sisters” (and may head back to the office just to make it play), and Godot’s jazzy tune “The Fragrance of Dark Coffee.” But there are lots more all throughout the games, with new ones added as new characters arrive.
When the action ramps up
Ace Attorney fans are well aware of how hard it is to explain their favorite games to others. How do you convey just how exciting this particular brand of courtroom drama is? Especially when the music gets all music-y and you’re on your way to cracking the case.
Each game in the series has its own “Pursuit” theme — intense music that kicks off as your lawyer protagonist gets ever closer to the truth. The one we’re all most familiar with is, of course, the first game’s “Pursuit ~ Cornered.” But we also love “Pursuit ~ The Great Turnabout” in The Great Ace Attorney and “Pursuit ~ Casting Magic” in the Professor Layton crossover. Both have an extra orchestral kick to them.
But as exciting as it gets when the music kicks off, it’s not nearly as exciting as…
When it stops.
To someone who’s never played Ace Attorney, this probably sounds like the worst kind of dunk. But when you’re trying to present decisive evidence, the last thing you want to hear is the cross-examination theme still going. That means you got it wrong, and it’s time to reload from your save state… er, take a penalty.
Long-time players know the joy (or is that relief?) of bringing out a piece of evidence, only for the game to go completely silent. Because that’s how you know you got it right. And now it’s time for that “Pursuit” theme to kick in as the prosecution freaks out. And really, what’s better than that?
Don’t forget to check out the Ace Attorney Orchestra Concert online next month!
