Set two months after Turnabout Goodbyes, Phoenix Wright is brought out of a self-imposed break to investigate a case involving a friend of his mentor from law school, who has already confessed to murder. It spans three investigation chapters and seven trial chapters, and has the player carry more evidence in the court record than in any other episode in the main series of Ace Attorney games. Being made for the DS, this episode features touchscreen-oriented gameplay that allows the player to examine evidence from any angle, spray luminol fluid to see bloodstains, and dust for fingerprints. The "special episode" designation would be adopted starting from the Nintendo 3DS era of games, but Rise from the Ashes was essentially treated similarly in the WiiWare release of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, with it being available as extra downloadable content after the WiiWare release of Trials and Tribulations, in accordance with the original release order.