Pics from Kirby GC, The new Zelda, and Mario Baseball. Yeah, Mario Baseball.

[A Black Falcon]

Sidescrollers like Kirby 64 have a third dimension, but it's an unusable one. HOWEVER, let's look at a game such as SSBM, which also has an unusable third dimension, EXCEPT when you pause the game and use the analog stick to move the camera around, giving you a view from many different angles. This is something that simply could not be done with a traditional 2D graphic style. Therein lies the difference.

That's a good example of where a game does something 2d really couldn't do very well, like GGA and its 3d towns... there aren't NO differences, but they really are minor. That's just a camera trick and it has quite limited applications since it can't be used during the game...

... There can be 3D games that have more similar art to some 2D games than some 2D games to some 2D games. The technology does not change the art, it only changes how you go about making it and the amount of freedom you have.

Of course, if you're talking about the style it is done in, but what does that have to do with my point? I'm not talking about that, I'm talking about the medium it's drawn on... in this case, polygons or sprites (or sprites and polygons).

...

You're really dense, did you know that? How many examples do I have to give? The RPG one should have been enough.

Oh, I see what you are saying, I just happen to think differently... :)