I never felt like Edgeworth being a pompous rich boy was a gimmick, just legitimate characterization. That's more than I can say for most characters in the series.
AA1's more grounded approach gave it by far the best villains overall. Edgeworth, von Karma, Gant, and of course, Mr. Did It. Dahlia and Matt Engarde are the only other ones to measure up, and to no surprise, they're also grounded.