According to Infil’s superb fighting game glossary, “footsies” is defined as:

“A complicated, often nebulous term that refers to the battle for controlling the space in front of you, often by using good pokes. In essence, you are trying to get to a range you like, while trying to deny your opponent getting to a range that they like. How you do this varies wildly based on the game, but it often involves using strong crouching kick attacks to pester your opponent as they are trying to walk around. This dance of playing mind games with your feet is the source of the term’s name.”

All fine and dandy. Playing footsies means measuring the space between you and your opponent, while trying to slowly, but surely, find an opening and keep them at a range where your options are better than theirs. What, one might ask, happens when someone takes this concept and builds a whole game around it? Well, the result is FOOTSIES — Rollback Edition, developed by HiFight, also known for his extensive coverage of fighting game tourneys and just-frame analysis of key matches!

If you ever wondered how it feels to play a 2D Virtua Fighter game, Super Bout: Champion’s Tour is exactly the game for you. It feels like a legitimate 3D fighter experience but flattened on a surface, down to its control system (Punch, Kick, Guard), the methodical spacing, emphasis on getting frame advantage and on juggling the opponent for large damage. There are very few links, most of which on counter attack, and low attacks are a luxury, more than the rule—useful for getting out of a pinch or having some decent frame advantage, but generally incapable of starting combos, except for a few outliers.

Super Bout is a game that fans of 3D fighter will definitely be able to enjoy, all for less than the price of a coffee.