History Main / ThreeRoundDeathmatch

* Subverted in ''ArtOfFighting 3''. The game has a traditional 2-out-of-3 setup, but if a fighter defeats a weak enough opponent with a DesperationAttack, they will be awarded with an "Ultimate KO" and the match will end.

Unexpectedly for many fighting game fans, this is [[GimmickMatches actually]] TruthInTelevision... if you may call wrestling ''[[{{Kayfabe}} truth]]''.

* ''DragonBallZ Budokai'' is similar to ''Killer Instinct'', but raised the ante with ''up to 10 life meters''; there was no knock out until ''all'' life meters were depleted.

* ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}} 3'' (a.k.a. ''Vampire Savior'') also has a similar setup. In the PlayStation port, one play mode allows your combatant to have up to four or five "lives" per battle.

* Justified in ''FatalFury 2'' and later games in the series - the first time a character loses a round, they get back to their knees and gasp for breath while the game tallies the round bonus. It's only when the match point is lost that they get knocked out. Funnily enough, some of them even try to get back up only to fall over again (e.g. Krauser, Yamazaki, Jin Chonrei).

* Justified in ''FatalFury 2'' and later games in the series - the first time a character loses a round, they get back to their knees and gasp for breath while the game tallies the round bonus. It's only when the match point is lost that they get knocked out.

** Not quite; we have to mention the {{egregious}} example of ''MortalKombat Deception'' and ''Armageddon''; MK, being a fond believer of this trope already, took it to the ludicrous extreme when they added in {{death trap}}s, which ''killed your opponent instantly'' if you threw them into it...but if you haven't ''won'' the ThreeRoundDeathmatch, the next round starts with the opponent suddenly un-deadified and back to full health.

* ''DragonBallZ Budokai'' is similar to ''Killer Instinct'', but raised the ante with ''up to 10 life meters''; there was no knock out until ''all'' life meters were depleted.

** ''{{BlazBlue}}'' solved this by only allowing Astral Heats in the final round. Story mode always shows you opponent as alive but injured afterwards, even if Ragna's Astral Heat ''erased them from existence''.

** In GundamVs series when "duels" are declared (The CPU is set to evade, preventing them from interfering), 3000 vs 3000 is best of 2 rounds while 2000s has 3 lives and 1000s have 5 lives. Time outs result in the defeat of both sides regardless of how much health/battle advantage your team has.

* The characters of ''KidRadd'' entered a FightingGame of this sort. They were rather confused by the mechanics, particularly the "instant full recovery from unconsciousness" idea.

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* In the FightingGame based on ''JojosBizarreAdventure'', when a character loses a round, the announcer yells "Down!", and then the character immediately gets back up for the next round. It isn't "KO!" until the match point is scored, at which point the victorious character gives a VictoryPose.

<<|AcceptableBreaksFromReality|>>
<<|VideoGameTropes|>>

* Pro-bending in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' works on a best of three rounds format. Though the third round is still fought because knocking all three opponents [[RingOutout of the ring]] in a single round is an InstantWinCondition even if you're already down two rounds.

* Pro-bending in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' works on a best of three rounds format. Though the third round is still fought because knocking all three opponents out of the ring in a single round is an automatic victory even if you're already down two rounds.

* Pro-bending in TheLegendOfKorra works on a best of three rounds format. Though the third round is still fought because knocking all three opponents out of the ring in a single round is an automatic victory even if you're already down two rounds.

* This happens most illogically in the video game, ''Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story''. If you've ever watched a kung fu movie, you know that Bruce is supposed to knock the opponent down, and he's supposed to stay down. Unfortunately, in the game, a sailor in a gay looking white uniform can not only kick your ass, but come back to fight you in the second and third round. And you're friggin' Bruce Lee!

* ''{{Darkstalkers}} 3'' (a.k.a. ''Vampire Savior'') also has a similar setup. In the PlayStation port, one play mode allows your combatant to have up to four or five "lives" per battle.

* ''KillerInstinct'' uses a variant. Each character gets two life meters. When the first runs out, the character stands back up, the two face off, and the battle continues.

** Mild aversion in ''MortalKombatVsDCUniverse'': Fighters do get their full health bar back between rounds, but the various bruises, cuts, and torn clothing they accumulate remain from round to round.
** The same applies for ''MortalKombat9'', [[BloodierAndGorier only moreso]].

*** In the same vein, ''NeoGeoBattleColiseum'' that, well, didn't used the "one guy's failure is entire team's downfall" scheme, except, maybe one mode.

* There's also the "most amount of [=KOs=] in a certain amount of time" variant, known as the Ironman match where both competitors try and score as many falls on each other in a set time period, usually 60 minutes. This will end with a one point difference, very rarely a CurbStompBattle, or a tie, in which case no one will know what to do in the case of a tie.

* There's also the "most amount of [=KOs=] in a certain amount of time" variant, known as the Ironman match where both competitors try and score as many falls on each other in a set time period, usually 60 minutes.

*** Although there is a slight aversion in the MortalKombat (and many others) series in that you can only perform signature Fatality and such moves at the end of the match-winning round.
** Mild aversion in ''MortakKombatVsDCUniverse'': Fighters do get their full health bar back between rounds, but the various bruises, cuts, and torn clothing they accumulate remain from round to round.

* ''DragonBallZ Budokai'' is similar to ''Killer Instinct'', but upped the ante with ''[[strike:[[PowerLevels OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAAAAAND!!!!!]]]] up to 10 life meters''.
** With the difference that there was no knock out until ''all'' life meters were depleted. Also, the number of life meters indicated the maximum level of power for a character: Goku, for example, needs at least four full life meters to transform into a Super Saiyan; any less, and he can only use increasingly weaker Kaio-Kens.
** Um... no. The health bars and ki gauges were independent of one another.

*** And then there's ''Melee'''s Bonus Mode, where your score is determined not just by how many KOs you score, but by the style of your fighting.

* There's also the "most amount of KOs in a certain amount of time" variant, known as the Ironman match where both competitors try and score as many falls on each other in a set time period, usually 60 minutes.

* ''DragonballZ Budokai'' is similar to ''Killer Instinct'', but upped the ante with ''[[strike:[[OverNineThousand OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAAAAAND!!!!!]]]] up to 10 life meters''.

*** And then there's Melee's Bonus Mode, where your score is determined not just by how many KOs you score, but by the style of your fighting.

** Namco also differs in one team battle game, 'Tekken Tag Tournament'. If ONE of your guys is knocked out, you lose; it's similar to ProfessionalWrestling's tag team rules, thus giving you a reason to get that injured guy out as quickly as possible.

** Not quite; we have to mention the much [[TVTropesWikiDrinkingGame egregious]] example of ''MortalKombat Deception'' and ''Armageddon''; MK, being a fond believer of this trope already, took it to the ludicrous extreme when they added in {{death trap}}s, which ''killed your opponent instantly'' if you threw them into it...but if you haven't ''won'' the ThreeRoundDeathmatch, the next round starts with the opponent suddenly un-deadified and back to full health.