History Main / ThirdIs3D

For a period in TheEighties, it was not uncommon for the third film in a series to be released [[UsefulNotes/ThreeDMovie in 3D]]. The practice saw a revival in [[TheNew10s The New '10s]] flood of 3D film releases. It may or may not also be [[SequelGoesForeign set in a foreign country]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout|1}}'' 1 and ''[[VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}} 2]]'' were isometric... and you can guess where this is going... Like ''VideoGame/DukeNukem'', however, there were a few {{Gaiden Game}}s between ''2'' and ''[[VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}} 3]]''.

For a period in TheEighties, it was not uncommon for the third film in a series to be released [[UsefulNotes/ThreeDMovie in 3D]]. With the current flood of 3D film releases, this has once again become common practice. It may or may not also be [[SequelGoesForeign set in a foreign country]].

** The "Solid" in the original ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' comes from not just Solid Snake's codename, but also from solid geometry (since it was the first game in the series to be made in [=3D=]), while also being a subtle way of indicating that it was a sequel to the first two VideoGame/MetalGear games on the UsefulNotes/{{MSX}}2 (the original ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' and ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake''). The choice of "solid" was also a slight jab at Creator/SquareSoft, a company which Creator/{{Konami}} viewed as a rival, since a "solid" is a square with an extra dimension.
** When ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' was ported to the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS, the title was changed slightly to ''Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater [=3D=]''.

* Subverted with ''VideoGame/Bubsy3D''. It is sometimes viewed as the third game in the series, but it is actually the fourth game. The lesser-known ''Bubsy in Fractured Furry Tales'' was released exclusively for the UsefulNotes/AtariJaguar following the first two games on 16-bit consoles.

* The third ''VideoGame/DJHero'' game would have been a UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS spin-off entitled DJ Hero 3D. The game appears to have been cancelled, however. You have ''[[FranchiseKiller Warriors of Rock]]'' to blame for it (although Activision has acknowledged that had ''DJ Hero'' not existed to begin with, ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'' may still be up and running).
* Nintendo 64: While not stereoscopic 3D and it did not have 3D in its name, it was Nintendo's third home console and the first to render UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics natively (the UsefulNotes/SuperNES could only do so via the Super FX chip used by certain games).
* UsefulNotes/PlayStation3: Not at first, but eventually gained 3DTV support via a firmware update.

* The 3DS itself, if you take the DS as the first and [=DSi=] as the second (and dismiss the Lite and XL as revisions).

* ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' might be an example or inversion depending on if you view ''Super Paper Mario'' as a spinoff or not.
** ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' might be an inversion, as normal gameplay is in 2-D, and 3-D is instead an optional feature only Mario can use.
** Alternatively, ''VideoGame/PaperMarioStickerStar'' for the 3DS is the third game if you consider SPM to be a spinoff considering its change of gameplay.
** If one considers ''Sticker Star'' to be the start of a trilogy that focuses more on the Paper aspect of ''Paper Mario'', then ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheOrigamiKing'' qualifies for this trope in a sense, due to the emphasis on paper's most three-dimensional form, origami.

* Subverted with ''VideoGame/{{Bubsy}} [=3D=]''. It is sometimes viewed as the third game in the series, but it is actually the fourth game. The lesser-known ''Bubsy in Fractured Furry Tales'' was released exclusively for the UsefulNotes/AtariJaguar following the first two games on 16-bit consoles.

* Averted by ''[[VideoGame/SpaceHarrier Space Harrier 3D]]'', which is actually the ''second'' game in the series, being followed by, strangely enough, ''Space Harrier II''.

* ''VideoGame/SplinterCell: Chaos Theory'', much like ''[=MGS3=]'', was ported to the Nintendo [=3DS=] under the title ''Splinter Cell [=3D=]''.

* The official title of ''VideoGame/Doom3'' is actually ''Doom³'', the "cubed" is interpreted by some as meaning "3D". This one is interesting, as it announced a switch from [[TwoAndAHalfD "fake" 3D using sprite scaling]] to "true" [[UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics polygon-based 3D]]. It's actually the fourth mainline ''Doom'' game, following up the two classic PC games and ''VideoGame/Doom64'', but being a reboot instead of being in continuity with them.

* ''Animation/HappyHeroes'' does this animation-wise; its third movie, ''The Stones'', is [[AllCGICartoon all-CGI]] whereas its predecessors were 2D.

* The "Solid" in the original ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' comes from not just Solid Snake's codename, but also from solid geometry (since it was the first game in the series to be made in [=3D=]), while also being a subtle way of indicating that it was a sequel to the first two VideoGame/MetalGear games on the UsefulNotes/{{MSX}}2 (the original ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' and ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake''). The choice of "solid" was also a slight jab at Creator/SquareSoft, a company which Creator/{{Konami}} viewed as a rival, since a "solid" is a square with an extra dimension.
** When ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' was ported to the UsefulNotes/{{Nintendo 3DS}}, the title was changed slightly to ''Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater [=3D=]''.

* The official title of ''VideoGame/{{Doom}} 3'' is actually ''Doom³'', the "cubed" is interpreted by some as meaning "3D". This one is interesting, as it announced a switch from [[TwoAndAHalfD "fake" 3D using sprite scaling]] to "true" [[UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics polygon-based 3D]].

* In terms of mainline ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' games, ''VideoGame/{{Shin Megami Tensei|I}}'' and ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiII'' were in 2D, while ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' was in 3D, including during all battles, the latter quality not seen again in the mainline series before or since.

For a period in the Eighties, it was not uncommon for the third film in a series to be released [[UsefulNotes/ThreeDMovie in 3D]]. With the current flood of 3D film releases, this has once again become common practice. It may or may not also be [[SequelGoesForeign set in a foreign country]].

* If you consider the light-gun game ''VideoGame/GhoulPanic'' as part of the ''VideoGame/PointBlank'' series, then it marks the spot where the games switched from 2D to full 3D characters and environments.

** When ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' was ported to the UsefulNotes/{{Nintendo3DS}}, the title was changed slightly to ''Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater [=3D=]''.

* ''WesternAnimation/IceAge3DawnOfTheDinosaurs''

* Semi-subverted with ''VideoGame/{{Rayman}}'', which has a game called ''Rayman 3D'', a 3DS UpdatedRerelease of ''VideoGame/{{Rayman 2}}'', which is arguably the last one you'd expect from that title.

* ''Film/SpyKids''
** Taken even further with the fourth ''Spy Kids'' movie, which was released '''4D''' (scratch and sniff).

* ''VideoGame/{{Bubsy}} [=3D=]'' is actually the fourth game in the series. The lesser-known ''Bubsy in Fractured Furry Tales'' was released exclusively for the UsefulNotes/AtariJaguar following the first two games on 16-bit consoles.

* Averted by ''VideoGame/[[SpaceHarrier Space Harrier 3D]]'', which is actually the ''second'' game in the series, being followed by, strangely enough, ''Space Harrier II''.

* Averted by ''VideoGame/SpaceHarrier Space Harrier 3D'', which is actually the ''second'' game in the series, being followed by, strangely enough, ''Space Harrier II''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 1}}'' and ''[[VideoGame/{{Fallout 2}} 2]]'' were isometric... and you can guess where this is going... Like ''VideoGame/DukeNukem'', however, there were a few {{Gaiden Game}}s between ''2'' and ''[[VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}} 3]]''.

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'', the third games in both the [[VideoGame/CommandAndConquer3TiberiumWars Tiberium series]] and the [[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3 Red Alert]] series used a 3D engine. There's also a more meta example involving ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals Generals]]'', the first fully-3D RTS in the series which started a third continuity to ''Command & Conquer''. Also, if you consider ''Dune 2000'' as a separate game instead of a remake of ''VideoGame/DuneII'' (which was technically the first game, being entirely unrelated to the [[VideoGame/Dune1992 other]] ''Dune'' game from 1992), then VideoGame/EmperorBattleForDune counts as well.

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* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'' is an interesting case, because unlike the others on this list, it doesn't specifically market 3-D as its defining selling point, despite being released in both viewing formats. It's hugely indicated by the marketer's decision not to call it "Toy Story 3-D". It's all very refreshing.
** Before the third film was released the first two were re-released in the 3D format as well.

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