History Main / ThirdIs3D

* ''VideoGame/{{Worms}} 3D'' wasn't anywhere close to being the third game in the series, but since Worms 2 was the only one to have a number before it...

* Subverted with the ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' franchise. While there are two primary games in the form of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'' and ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3D'' is not part of the sequence. It's instead more of a GaidenGame on the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS, while the actual third game is simply ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII''.

[[quoteright:300:[[Film/SpyKids https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spykids3d.png]]]]

* 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 Franchise/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.

* 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 Franchise/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/{{Square}}, a company which Creator/{{Konami}} viewed as a rival, since a "solid" is a square with an extra dimension.

* The "Solid" in the original ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' was not just reference to Solid Snake's codename, but also to solid geometry (which served a slight jab at ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'''s developer [[Creator/SquareSoft Square]], a company which Konami viewed as a rival), while also being a subtle way of indicating that it was the third (canonical) Franchise/MetalGear game following the [[VideoGame/MetalGear MSX2 original]] and its sequel ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake''.

* Nintendo 64: While not stereoscopic 3D and did not have 3D in its name, it was Nintendo's third non-handheld console and the first with UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics.

* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear Xrd'', kinda. It uses 3D models to imitate 2D sprites and is the third "X" game in the series, though it's technically the fourth game since the original ''Guilty Gear'' didn't use an X in the title, and 6th if you count ''Isuka'' and ''Overture'' (it is the first non-spinoff after ''Overture'', which was explicitly numbered 2, though).

* The "Solid" in the original ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' was not just reference to Solid Snake's codename, but it also to solid geometry (which served a slight jab at ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'''s developer [[Creator/SquareSoft Square]], a company which Konami viewed as a rival), as well as a subtle way of indicating that it was the third (canonical) Franchise/MetalGear game following the [[VideoGame/MetalGear MSX2 original]] and its sequel ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake''.

* Variation with the third Kojima-designed ''Franchise/MetalGear'' game, which was titled ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' instead of ''Metal Gear [=3D=]''.
** According to Kojima, "Solid" was chosen as the name in reference to the "solid" 3D graphics, as well as their rivalry with Square. Additionally, "solid" is pronounced "''soriddo''" while 3D is pronounced "''suriidii,''" so it's possible that the pronunciation was based on a pun, as well.
*** For the series's debut on the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS, they opted to use the third game in the ''Solid'' series, ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater''.

* ''VideoGame/SplinterCell'', for the 3DS remake of ''Chaos Theory'', the third game in the series.

* 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]] to "true" [[UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics polygon-based 3D]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Bubsy}}'' is actually a subversion; the actual third game in the series was ''Bubsy in Fractured Furry Tales'', released on the Atari Jaguar.

* The third ''VideoGame/DJHero'' game would have been a 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).

* Subverted with the ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' franchise. While there are two primary games in the form of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'' and ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3D'' is not part of the sequence. It's instead more of a GaidenGame on the Nintendo3DS, while the actual third game is simply ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII''.

*** For the series's debut on the Nintendo3DS, they opted to use the third game in the ''Solid'' series, ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater''.

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'', the third games in both the [[VideoGame/CommandAndConquer3TiberiumWars Tiberium series]] and the [[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3 Red Alert]] series used a 3D engine. Also, if you consider ''Dune 2000'' as a separate game instead of a remake of VideoGame/DuneII (which was actually the first game, but that's a different trope), then VideoGame/EmperorBattleForDune counts as well.

* ''VideoGame/{{Bubsy}}'' is another one, but it [[FranchiseKiller killed the series]].

* 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/GuiltyGear Xrd'', kinda. It uses 3D models to imitate 2D sprites and is the third "X" game in the series, though it's technically the fourth game since the original ''Guilty Gear'' didn't use an X in the title, and 6th if you count ''Isuka'' and ''Overture''.
* Semi-subverted with ''VideoGame/{{Rayman}}'', who 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.
* ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'', anyone? The first two and their expansions were isometric.
* The first two ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpires'' games were barely isometric, while the third blew away it's competition in the 3D graphics part.

*** For the series's debut on the Nintendo3DS, they opted to use the third game in the series, ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater''.

* ''VideoGame/SplinterCell'', for the 3DS remake of ''[[VideoGame/SplinterCellChaosTheory Chaos Theory]]'', the third game in the series.

** Played straight with Sonic 3. While it wasn't a 3D game, the title screen actually used pre-rendered 3D as opposed to the pixel art tile screens in the first 2.
** And 3D Blast still plays with it, as it's the third Sonic game outside the numbered series.

* The 3DS itself, if you take the DS as the first and DSi as the second (and dismiss the Lite and XL as revisions)
* Nintendo 64: While not stereoscopic 3D and did not have 3D in its name, it was Nintendo's third console and the first with UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics.

* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear Xrd'', kinda. It uses 3D models to imitate 2D sprites and is the third "X" game in the series, though it's technically the fourth game since the original ''Guilty Gear'' didn't use an X in the title and 5th if you count ''Overture''.

* The first two ''Franchise/AgeOfEmpires'' games were barely isometric, while the third blew away it's competition in the 3D graphics part.
* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'', the third games in both the [[VideoGame/CommandAndConquer3TiberiumWars Tiberium series]] and the [[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3 Red Alert]] series used a 3D engine. Also, if you consider ''VideoGame/{{Dune 2000}}'' as a separate game instead of a remake of [[VideoGame/DuneII Dune 2]] (which was actually the first game, but that's a different trope), then VideoGame/EmperorBattleForDune counts as well.

* ''Film/StepUp''

* ''VideoGame/SimonTheSorcerer''

%%* ''RailroadTycoon''.
* ''RollerCoasterTycoon 3'' was in full polygonal graphics, unlike the first two games. It even allowed to ride a coaster in first-person view.

* ''[[MicroMachines Micro Machines V3]]'' and ''VideoGame/Sonic3DBlast'' are aversions, as they weren't actually the third game in the series.

For a period in the Eighties, it was not uncommon for the third film in a series to be released [[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]].

* How does one forget ''Franchise/{{Age of Empires}}'' ? The first two were barely isometric, the third blew away it's competition in the 3D graphics part.

* Parodied by ''{{Psych}}'', which titled it's third Yin/Yang episode "Yang 3 in 2D".

* 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]] to "true" [[PolygonalGraphics polygon-based 3D]].

* Nintendo 64: While not stereoscopic 3D and did not have 3D in its name, it was Nintendo's third console and the first with PolygonalGraphics.

* ''SplinterCell'', for the 3DS remake of Chaos Theory, the third game in the series.

* The third ''VideoGame/DJHero'' game would have been a 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, ''GuitarHero'' may still be up and running).