Court record

The court record is the main gameplay element in the Ace Attorney series. The protagonist stores all evidence and character profiles in the court record for him to use in a trial or for other purposes. The court record is always available to be accessed at every user prompt in each game save for the jury verdict in Turnabout Succession, either through a "Court Record" button or through a "Present" button.

Functions
There are two modes of browsing through the court record. By default, the protagonist enters into an overview mode in which items are represented as icons. Eight items can fit in each page, and the player can press "left" or "right" on the d-pad or the touchscreen to navigate between pages. When an item is selected, the player goes into a detailed mode in which details on the item are given. The horizontal buttons now take the player to items adjacent to the currently selected. The player can also "drag" the court record to show an adjacent item.

Pressing "R" or the button in the upper-right corner allows the player to switch between evidence and profiles.

"Court Record" button
The "Court Record" button, accessible outside of cross-examinations by pressing it or the "R" shoulder button, allows the protagonist to view evidence and profiles that he or she has collected. This does not allow the protagonist to present evidence, but in Rise from the Ashes, Phoenix Wright can use the luminol spray and the fingerprinting set by pressing the court record button.

"Present" button
Main articles: Investigation and Trial

The "Present" button allows the protagonist to