The Ace Attorney games, if you're not familiar with them, are a series of courtroom drama/investigation games originally released for the Nintendo DS. They started in Japan more than a decade ago and began making their way into other markets a few years later, and I've been hooked on them ever since I picked up that first installment. Between the engrossing, "visual novel" style of gameplay and super endearing characters, I've just always loved everything Ace Attorney chooses to be.
The Professor Layton games are another DS series I really love. Chances are, you've probably heard of these! They're extremely popular story-driven puzzle games that people of all ages and even self-described non-gamers enjoy.
So, given my feelings about these two series, I'm sure it's no surprise that I was EXTREMELY EXCITED when Level-5 and Capcom announced way back in 2010 that they'd be doing a crossover game combining the Ace Attorney and Layton worlds. The wait for the US version was excruciating (Japan got the game in 2012!), but a few weeks ago, the day finally arrived: Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright released in North America and I promptly devoted all my free moments to playing this game.
As the end of the game drew near, I started feeling like I wanted to commemorate the event somehow. I just enjoyed the story and puzzles so much, and I'm going to miss these characters SO MUCH, that it felt right to do something for them, weird as that may sound. And that's how this manicure was born!
I've always had a lot of insecurity about my freehand painting skills, but I knew there was no way around it with this look. This dual-finger-point pose for Phoenix and the Professor is easily the most iconic image in the game, so that's absolutely what I had to paint. I was convinced going into it (and most of the way through the process, to be honest) that I'd never be able to pull it off, but my sister cheered me on and wouldn't let me give up. I'm so grateful for that now, because I'm absolutely thrilled with how this turned out! I feel like I learned a lot about my own abilities while working on it.
I used a England Camelot for my base and then painted everything else freehand with acrylic paints and my Stylish Nail Art Shop detail brush. The large white areas went on first, and then I added the silhouettes on top, leaving an area of white for the outline.
I officially completed the game yesterday, so it's pretty perfect that this post is going up today. I'd love to hear from people about this one: are you a fan of either series? Have you played this latest installment, or are you planning to?
Farewell, Phoenix and Professor—I already can't wait for your next games!
I remember when we all played the very first game years ago. This is an amazing manicure and your free-hand work is most impressive!!! Congrats on a job well done!!
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