Pursuit

"Pursuit" (追求) is a series of musical themes in the Ace Attorney series that normally play during a trial chapter's climax when the protagonist submits the final decisive evidence to end the trial. Each game has a track that usually plays prior to the submission of the evidence and a variation of the track that sometimes plays afterward, often after a sudden turnaround from a seemingly hopeless situation.

Before any official translations, the original track from Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney was commonly translated as "Pursuit ~ Cornered" or just "Cornered", and subsequent tracks would sometimes be mistakenly translated as "Cornered". The translated soundtrack of Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney uses "Cornered" for both of its "Pursuit" tracks. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy - Turnabout Tunes translated the track as "Pursuit - Corner the Culprit", more clearly identifying the subject and object of the cornering. It similarly translated the track from Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations as "Pursuit - Catch the Culprit" when "Pursuit ~ Caught" was a common unofficial translation.

Tracks

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

• "Pursuit - Corner the Culprit"

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All

• "Pursuit - Confront the Culprit"
• "Pursuit - Corner the Culprit" - Reunion, and Turnabout (flashback scene only)

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations

• "Pursuit - Catch the Culprit"
• "Pursuit - Corner the Culprit 2004" - Bridge to the Turnabout only

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

• "Pursuit - Gotta Corner the Culprit"
• "Pursuit - Corner the Culprit" - Turnabout Succession only

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies

• "Pursuit - Completely Corner the Culprit"

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice

• "Pursuit - Converge On the Culprit" (追求 ～追いつめあって)

Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth

• "Pursuit - Chase Down the Truth" (追求 ～つきつめたくて)

Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Gambit

• "Pursuit - Uncover the Truth" (追究 ～つきとめたくて)

The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures

• "Pursuit - A Great Turnabout"

The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve

• "Pursuit - A Great Turnabout"
• "Prelude to Pursuit"
• "Great Pursuit - The Resolve of Ryunosuke Naruhodo" - The Resolve of Ryunosuke Naruhodo only

Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

• "Pursuit - Cornered (English Turnabout Mix)" - English Turnabout only
• "Cornered - Spell-breaker"

Other games

• "Pursuit - Converge On the Culprit" was used in Puzzle & Dragons for the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice collaboration, which marked the track's first appearance in a video game.
• Remixed versions of "Pursuit - Corner the Culprit" are used in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (when Phoenix Wright enters "Turnabout Mode") and Project X Zone 2.

Name

• Although most tracks in the series are named 追求 in Japanese, both Ace Attorney Investigations themes are named 追究, which is read the same and has the same meaning.
  • This might be a reflection of Miles Edgeworth's difference in personality to other Ace Attorney protagonists, as 追究 suggests a more rigorous, scientific pursuit, whereas 追求 is more idealistic.
  • Similarly, where official English translations of Pursuit themes' titles tend to reference "the culprit," the two Ace Attorney Investigations themes instead reference "the truth."