Before theAce Attorney Investigations Collectionwas announced, us English-speaking legal dramedy fans could only play the second Miles Edgeworth game, Prosecutor’s Gambit, through a fan translation that was highly lauded for a very long time. Aiming not only to make the game’s narrative accessible, but also to replicate the series’ standard humour and iconic naming conventions, the translators went ham coming up with suitable equivalents. With no official release outside of Japan, this was our only option. Thankfully, it was a pretty good one.
In many cases, they were very successful. In some, less so. But don’t you worry; I have taken it upon myself to take a look at the characters from Prosecutor’s Gambit and compare their actual name with the ones they were blessed with unofficially.
This article contains characters from the entirety of Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Gambit. Some minor spoilers should be expected, but nothing game-ruining, I swear.
Tabby Lloyd Vs. Nicole Swift
Starting off with a very strong showing for the official translation here, Tabby Lloyd is a classic Ace Attorney pun name that tells you everything you need to know about a character. Nicole Swift is a pretty name, but the pun wins out. First blood goes to the official translation.
Bastian Rook & Bronco Knight Vs. Ethan Rooke & Horace Knightley
I have to say, I prefer the stylised references to chess pieces a bit more than the very blunt way these characters are named in the official version. That’s two points to the fan translation right there, despite Bastian and Bronco being obviously superior first names.
Di-Jun Wang Vs. Di-Jun Huang
I can’t say I have any opinion on this matchup at all. I suppose it’s a point for the fan translation for basically getting it spot on.
Eddie Fender Vs. Raymond Shields
Is he ‘a defender’ or an ‘eh defender’? This is one that goes to the fan translation, I’m afraid. Shields is a nice reference to the character that outperforms Eddie Fender’s punniness. Plus, when you realise his full name is ‘Edward Fender’, you can’t help but cringe a little.
With five characters down and 15 to go, the tally stands at one point for the official translation and four for the fan translation, giving the age-olds an early lead with early-game characters.
Verity Gavelle Vs. Justine Courtney
This was a difficult one to decide on, and probably the only conflict on this entire list. Justine Courtney is a wonderful pun and a nice name. Verity Gavelle is a bit of a mouthful, in comparison. But then Verity grew on me: it’s a name that evokes both a main theme (truth, through verity) and manages a very good pun (Gavelle, through gavels). Verity cinches it.
Eustace Winner Vs. Sebastian Debeste
Sebastian Debeste is the coolest name on this list. Sorry, Eustace.
Rocco Carcerato Vs. Jay Elbird
This dude is a boxer and they gave him a name that sounds ever so slightly like Rocky, and then added a far sleeker pun to do with jail than the fan translation’s entire name. Chalk it up for the official team here.
Simeon Saint Vs. Simon Keyes
Simeon is aneatpun name, considering this dude works with a monkey, while Simon Keyes is anoverwroughtpun name, considering this dude works with a monkey.I’ll go with the nicer-sounding name, which is Simeon.
Fifi Laguarde Vs. Patricia Roland
Two names you absolutely love to hate. Fifi sorta suits her demeanour and outfit, but Laguarde is one of the stupidest pun names Ace Attorney has ever attempted, a very limp attempt at humour. Patricia Roland, however, is a stretch (Pat Rol, I guess?) and sounds far too realistic. Pat Roland sounds like she works at the local post office and has three dogs named after Disney characters. Fifi gets a point almost through her opponent’s lameness.
With the second batch of names being a washout for the fan translation, we’re up to five-all at the halfway point. Who will win? I’m sure you’re on tenterhooks.
Bodhidharma Kanis Vs. Sirhan Dogen
Bodhidharma being a factual Buddhist monk’s name and Kanis adopting a Buddhist aesthetic makes this an easy win. Doesn’t hurt that I’ve been reading his name as a pun on ‘body harmer’, which fits a serial murderer very well. As for Kanis versus Dogen, reflecting the guy’s love for his dog, I could take them or leave them.
Helmut Vs. Anubis
Anubis is really bloody cool, but German names just sound more evil and are therefore cooler by default. Helmut can also be read as ‘hell mutt’, which pushes this over the edge into easy-winner territory.
Samson Tangoroa Vs. Jeffrey Master
This is a clash of religious references with a sly nod to tango versus a really quite awful Master Chef pun. Well done on the easy point, official translation.
Judy Bound Vs. Kate Hall
I initially thought Judy’s name meant she’d end up the criminal and her name was a play on ‘Juvie bound’ but it turns out, nah, it’s as underwhelming as the fan translation. I’ll give the unofficial name the benefit of sounding better to the ear.
Delicia Scone Vs. Delicia Scones
Apparently, the pun on tasty scones is present in the original Japanese. Can’t fault either version here, so the fan translation gets the point for being first.
With just five names left, this is turning out to be a close race. We’re up to eight points for the official translation against the fan translation’s seven.
Carmelo Gusto Vs. Dane Gustavia
Carmelo’s whole thing is about sweet flavours and taste disorders, so having an official name that basically means ‘sweet taste’ makes it a classic case of cruel irony. Another easy point to the official translation here.
Excelsius Winner Vs. Blaise Debeste
While his son’s unofficial name was easily superior to the official version, I’d say the reverse is true here. Excelsius is a wonderful name for an antagonist who got away with some ruthless stuff for a very long time, and Winner suits him down to the ground. Sorry Blaise.
Florence Niedler & Hilda Hertz Vs. Karin Jenson & Bonnie Young
A Florence Nightingale reference for a nurse who literally needles versus a lame pun on ‘caring’? Sorry Jenson, official wins. And as for Gramma here, the superior pun wins again: ‘heal da hurts’ is justbetterthan a vague joke about an old person having a youthful name.
Shaun Fenn Vs. John Marsh
Both surnames are a play on swampiness, so I’m betting there’s a joke or Japanese reference I’m not getting here. Either way, I don’t like the oblique reference to Shaun Penn, so the fan translation gets the final point here.
And that’s that! The final count: 12 points for the official translation and eight for the fan translation. The passionate Ace Attorney fans of yore made some fantastic choices, but there’s a punny, clever edge to the updated, official names that cannot be denied.
As a closing note, I do want to express my adoration and adulation for the older names. Without a fan translation project, I would have had to wait so many years to experience the wonder that is Prosecutor’s Gambit (not to mention so many other games that never made it out of Japan), and while I rib some of the old translations here, I do it with love.
