Strikers (ストライカー) were a mechanic and a rule used in The King of Fighters series.
Description
This mechanic were used during the canonical games of the NESTS saga (KOF '99 through 2001). Instead of the traditional 3 man Teams battles from earlier KOF games, every Team now has a fourth member. Before a match, the player chooses three of the characters to use in the fights, with the fourth member becoming a Striker. The player can summon their Striker during battle to help their character by performing one of their Special Moves against the opponent. A Striker can be summoned only a limited number of times during a single match. The Strikers System was removed starting with The King of Fighters 2002, and was replaced with the traditional 3-on-3 matches. The King of Fighters 2003 would introduce the Multi-Shift System.
Games' System
The King of Fighters '99
The Special Strikers that are available in The King of Fighters '99 Evolution.
The King of Fighters '99 introduced the Striker System. All Teams are required to have 3 fighting members and 1 supporting member known as the Striker. As you select the order of fighters during each match, the first 3 serve as your fighting members while the 4th one is deployed as your team's striker for that match. This member can be called into battle for a limited number of times.
Strikers require one Strike Bomb in order to be called. Press
- You can only summon a Striker when standing still.
- Use a Strike Bomb to make a Striker show up and support you.
- Strikers vary in performance depending on the character chosen.
- The default number of Strike Bombs is 3, and the maximum number is 5.
- A Strike Bomb is awarded when a team loses a round.
Move Legend
- Offensive attacks directly inflict damage on the opponent.
- Life-Up heals a bit of life on the player's gauge.
- Power-Up builds a bit of power on the player's gauge.
- Power-Down depletes a certain amount on the opponent's gauge.
- Immobilization holds the opponent in place and open to attack.
Striker Attacks & Effects
Note: Krizalid cannot be used as a striker.| K' | Narrow Spike | Offensive Attack |
| Maxima | Maxima Gallows | Immobilizes the opponent for a brief |
| Benimaru Nikaido | Electrigger | Immobilizes the opponent for a brief |
| Shingo Yabuki | Leg Grab | Immobilizes the opponent for a brief |
| Terry Bogard | Dunk Geyser | Offensive Attack |
| Andy Bogard | Wind Slicing Shadow Fist | Offensive Attack |
| Joe Higashi | Here! Here! Megaton Punch | Offensive Attack |
| Mai Shiranui | Blossom Storm | Offensive Attack/Increase of Power |
| Ryo Sakazaki | Aerial Dragon Flame Punch | Offensive Attack |
| Robert Garcia | Tiger Rapid Rave | Offensive Attack |
| Yuri Sakazaki | Scalding Steam Blast | Offensive Attack/Increase of Power |
| Takuma Sakazaki | Deadly Demon Conqueror's Blast | Offensive Attack |
| Leona Heidern | Killer Touch | Offensive Attack |
| Ralf Jones | Regal Body Blow | Offensive Attack |
| Clark Still | Flashing Launcher | Offensive Throw |
| Whip | Valkyrie Killer | Offensive Attack |
| Athena Asamiya | Psychic Heal | Increase of Life |
| Sie Kensou | Meat Bun 4 U | Increase of Life and Power |
| Chin Gentsai | Willow Wallop | Offensive Attack |
| Bao | Paycho Ball MAX Striker Mix | Offensive Attack |
| King | Trap Rush | Offensive Attack |
| Blue Mary | Rapid Spider | Offensive Throw |
| Kasumi Todoh | Victory | Offensive Throw/Decrease of opponent's power |
| Li Xiangfei | Great Fierce Peach Tree | Decrease of opponent's power |
| Kim Kaphwan | Flying Kick | Offensive Attack |
| Chang Koehan | Iron Ball Great Plumment | Offensive Attack |
| Choi Bounge | Triple Dancing Dis | Offensive Attack/Decrease of opponent's power |
| Jhun Hoon | Charging Tiger Raid | Offensive Attack |
| Kyo-1 & Kyo-2 | Overhauled Bouncer | Offensive Attack |
| Kyo Kusanagi | Serpent Shear | Offensive Attack |
| Iori Yagami | Vessels of 8 Elixirs | Immobilizes the opponent for a brief |
The King of Fighters 2000
In The King of Fighters 2000, the Striker System was heavily improved. Before, you can't summon a Striker unless you are not doing anything. But now, you can summon a Striker whenever you want except during a Desperation Move, but you can still call him upon finishing the move. You can even call Strikers when under attack or being thrown.
This time, each character has 2 selectable Strikers: the normal Striker and Another Striker, which effectively doubles the number of Strikers available for the entire roster of fighters. In the PS2 release, certain characters even have a hidden choice called a Maniac Striker. Several Strikers hail from old school SNK classics as well as original or alternate characters.
As a bonus, as long as you have a stored power stock and you have less than the maximum amount of Strike Bombs carried, you can convert the power stock into a Strike Bomb by using the taunt. This can be a very good advantage in combat indeed. Take caution though, you can't cancel your way out of a taunt. Unlock the Maniac Striker by highlighting the character's Another Striker, then move the joystick Up, Left, Left, Left, Right, Right, Right and Down. Press any button to choose the Maniac Striker.
Striker Attacks & Effects
Team Character StrikersNote: Kula Diamond and Clone Zero aren't used as striker characters.| K' | Narrow Spike | Offensive Attack |
| Maxima | Maxima Gallows | Immobilizes the opponent for a brief |
| Ramón | El Diablo Amarillo Ramón | Offensive Attack |
| Vanessa | Hard Puncher | Offensive Attack |
| Benimaru Nikaido | Electrigger | Immobilizes the opponent for a brief |
| Shingo Yabuki | Leg Grab | Immobilizes the opponent for a brief |
| Lin | Hirai Kyaku | Offensive Attack |
| Seth | Final Agent | Offensive Attack |
| Terry Bogard | Dunk Geyser | Offensive Attack |
| Andy Bogard | Wind Slicing Shadow Fist | Offensive Attack |
| Joe Higashi | Here! Here! Megaton Punch | Offensive Attack |
| Blue Mary | Rapid Spider | Offensive Throw |
| Ryo Sakazaki | Aerial Dragon Flame Punch | Offensive Attack |
| Robert Garcia | Tiger Rapid Rave | Offensive Attack |
| King | Trap Rush | Offensive Attack |
| Takuma Sakazaki | Deadly Demon Conqueror's Blast | Offensive Attack |
| Leona Heidern | Killer Touch | Offensive Attack |
| Ralf Jones | Regal Body Blow | Offensive Attack |
| Clark Still | Flashing Launcher | Offensive Throw |
| Whip | Valkyrie Killer | Offensive Attack |
| Athena Asamiya | Psychic Heal | Increase of Life |
| Sie Kensou | Meat Bun 4 U | Increase of Life and Power |
| Chin Gentsai | Willow Wallop | Offensive Attack |
| Bao | Paycho Ball MAX Striker Mix | Offensive Attack |
| Mai Shiranui | Blossom Storm | Offensive Attack/Increase of Power |
| Yuri Sakazaki | Scalding Steam Blast | Offensive Attack/Increase of Power |
| Kasumi Todoh | Victory | Offensive Throw/Decrease of opponent's power |
| Hinako Shijou | Hinako The Gunner | Offensive Attack |
| Kim Kaphwan | Flying Kick | Offensive Attack |
| Chang Koehan | Iron Ball Great Plumment | Offensive Attack |
| Choi Bounge | Triple Dancing Dis | Offensive Attack/Decrease of opponent's power |
| Jhun Hoon | Charging Tiger Raid | Offensive Attack |
| Kyo Kusanagi | Serpent Shear | Offensive Attack |
| Iori Yagami | Vessels of 8 Elixirs | Immobilizes the opponent for a brief |
| K' | Another K' | Narrow Spike | Offensive Attack |
| Maxima | Rocky | Atomic Burn | Offensive Attack |
| Ramón | Duke Edwards | Submarine Screw | Offensive Attack |
| Vanessa | Fiolina Germi | Parachute Diving Practice | Offensive Attack |
| Benimaru Nikaido | Another Benimaru | Lightning Fist | Offensive Attack |
| Shingo Yabuki | Cosplayer Kyoko | 75 Modified² | Offensive Attack/Decrease of opponent's power |
| Lin | Eiji Kisaragi | Mist Slash | Offensive Attack |
| Seth | Goro Daimon | Earth Mover Olympic Version | Offensive Attack/Decrease of opponent's power |
| Terry Bogard | Geese Howard | Vacuum Toss | Offensive Attack/Decrease of opponent's power |
| Andy Bogard | Billy Kane | Lethal Gyrating Cudgel | Offensive Attack |
| Joe Higashi | Duck King | Windmill | Offensive Attack |
| Blue Mary | Ryuji Yamazaki | Strangle Hold | Immobilizes the opponent for a brief |
| Ryo Sakazaki | Awakened Kaede | Ascending Dragon Spirit | Offensive Attack |
| Robert Garcia | Another Robert | Fist of Provocation | Offensive Attack/Decrease of opponent's power |
| King | King Lion | King Straight | Offensive Attack |
| Takuma Sakazaki | Gai Tendo | Wheel Combo "Maxi Edge" | Offensive Attack |
| Leona Heidern | Goenitz | Nocturnal Gust | Offensive Attack |
| Ralf Jones | Yashiro Nanakase | Missile Might Bash | Offensive Attack |
| Clark Still | Shermie | Shermie Spiral Hold | Offensive Attack |
| Whip | Chris | Shooting Dancer | Offensive Attack |
| Athena Asamiya | Princess Athena | Fire Sword | Offensive Attack |
| Sie Kensou | Psycho Soldier Kensou | Psycho Crash | Offensive Attack |
| Chin Gentsai | Baitang | Panda Roll | Offensive Attack |
| Bao | Kaoru Watabe | Powerful Miracle Tackle | Offensive Attack/Decrease of opponent's power |
| Mai Shiranui | Chizuru Kagura | Fan King Fandango | Increase of Life and Power |
| Yuri Sakazaki | Nakoruru | Earth's Blessing | Offensive Attack |
| Kasumi Todoh | Li Xiangfei | Great Fierce Peach Tree | Decrease of opponent's power |
| Hinako Shijou | Lilly Kane | Lilly's Aid | Increase of Power |
| Kim Kaphwan | Kim Sue-il | Flying Flash Slice | Offensive Attack |
| Chang Koehan | Kim Dong Hwan | Purple Haze | Offensive Attack/Decrease of opponent's power |
| Choi Bounge | Kim Jae Hoon | Comet Cruncher | Offensive Attack |
| Jhun Hoon | Kang Bae Dal | Boiling Tiger Storm | Offensive Attack |
| Kyo Kusanagi | Syo Kirishima | Sexual Charisma Dynamite | Offensive Attack/Decrease of opponent's power |
| Iori Yagami | Mature & Vice | Da Cide | Offensive Attack |
| Kula Diamond | Candy Diamond & Foxy | Candy Spin (Candy) & Moon Silver (Foxy) | Offensive Attacks |
| K' | Krizalid | Desperate Moment | Immobilizes the opponent for a brief |
| Ramón | Neo & Geo | Final Countdown | Offensive Attack |
| Benimaru Nikaido | Orochi Iori | 202 Dark Moon Slice | Offensive Attack |
| Terry Bogard | Brian Battler | Atomic Drop | Offensive Attack |
| Andy Bogard | Lucky Glauber | Death Bound | Offensive Attack |
| Joe Higashi | Heavy-D! | D. Magnum | Offensive Attack |
| Ryo Sakazaki | G-Mantle | G-Mantle Shot | Offensive Attack |
| Takuma Sakazaki | Mr. Big | Drum Shot | Offensive Attack |
| Leona Heidern | Orochi | Ookami/Oomiwa | Offensive Attack/Immobilizes the opponent for a brief |
| Ralf Jones | Orochi Leona | V-Slasher | Offensive Attack |
| Whip | Heidern | Storm Bringer | Offensive Attack/Immobilizes the opponent for a brief |
| Mai Shiranui | Wolfgang Krauser | Leg Tomahawk | Offensive Attack |
| Kasumi Todoh | Unknown | Unknown | Offensive Attack |
| Chang Koehan | Smart Chang | Spinning Steel | Offensive Attack |
| Choi Bounge | Cool Choi | Runaway Slicer | Offensive Attack |
| Kyo Kusanagi | Saisyu Kusanagi | The Way of the Kusanagi | Offensive Attack |
| Iori Yagami | Another Iori | Killer Comb | Offensive Attack |
| Kula Diamond | Rugal Bernstein | Genocide Cutter | Offensive Attack |
The King of Fighters 2001
In The King of Fighters 2001, the Striker System has been given another huge overhaul. After assembling your team of four, you can segregate your team which will be the Fighter characters and which will be the Strikers characters for every match. The number of assigned Strikers has a great impact on your Fighter characters' battle strategies, from offense and defense capabilities and the amount of Power Gauge stocks that can be stored at one time. Instead of Strike Bombs, Power Gauge stocks are used to summon Strikers.
Your team can consist of 4 Fighters and no Strikers, 3 Fighters and 1 Striker, 2 Fighters and 2 Strikers, or 1 Fighter and 3 Strikers. The number of Fighters on your team is inversely proportional to the maximum amount of stocks you can have at hand. No Strikers can only have 1 stock, while 3 Strikers can store as much as 4 stocks. Furthermore, a 1-Fighter team has higher attack/defense power and recovers more life between matches than a 4-Fighter team. The order of your team can be reset between matches.
A Striker can be called by pressing both the BC buttons at the same time at the cost of a stock. If you have assigned more than 1 Striker, you can call on the others using the same buttons and a joystick movement relative to the Striker's order of assignment (see above figure for details). You can also cancel special and Slayer Moves into Striker summons, but not Desperation Moves and throws. Furthermore, you can even call your Strikers in quick succession as long as you hit your opponent when a Striker is still on-screen.
Gallery
The Striker Gauge in The King of Fighters 2000.