KoF - Team Memembers Burst in Play???? WTF?

I was playing KoF '97 (y'know the best one) yesterday. I was fighting as the Fatal Fury Team, and wasn't paying too much attention to what was going on as I was bored.

Terry was taking a pasting and fell flat on his arse, as he did this Joe burst in on to the playing field to protect Terry while he was down. Subsequently I went on to win the bout.

WTF is going on? This has happened to me before when I was playing KoF '95 but it like happens once in a blue moon. Is it something I'm doing (like a d-pad command) or is it some random thing the CPU commands??

Whatever it is it's better than the lame ass Strikers system (just what is the point of that - it's gay as hell).

Can someone explain what's going on please?

Wait, you said you were playing KOF 97, and then said the best one? So, 98?

Anyhow, this happens for sure in 97 and 98, but I forget how it works. I know if I'm getting hit with a hold move, there were times the guys would come out and help real fast, but I cannot remember how. They have to be available (not defeated) and I think they have to have good affinity with the player. Beyond that, I'm not sure if you need to press a button to get them to come out or what. Sorry.

Spike

In KOF94-98, When you get dizzied, your teammates can jump in as long as they are on the screen and haven't gotten KO'ed. The teammate also has to like the dizzied partner (i.e. Iori ain't gonna back up Kyo if he's seeing stars)

Personally, I like strikers better because you can call out a teammate on command, and the fact that you can rotate 4 characters around in a game.

Spike, Tarma is right. '97 makes '98 look like an expensive doorstop.

Thanks for the help guys.

I've heard about the affinity thing before. I think you can test it out on the character select screen but I've forgotten how that works.

KoF '97 is tops. I think '98 is is great, but '97 owns '98 hands down.

I think you press down and A+B+C, but don't quote me on that! Have a look at some FAQs for a list of who helps who...I don't think Iori wants to help ANYONE...

Well, all the FAQs say it's D+WP+WK+HP, but I only did it once in '96 by accident. Either I suck at the timing, or my other party members just happen to be dead when I need them (i.e. getting thrown or while dizzy). Or maybe there isn't a whole lot of dizzying going on.

Its the team help option. When your guys dizzy or thrown you can call another team member out. I always forget in time to call the guys out, and its pretty useless. I wish they made this a bigger part of the game, oh well. I was tripped out the first time it happened in 95, then i read the manual.