kof strikers....

haven't played '99... just got 2k recently... and i'm curious about the strikers...
sometimes i call one and they just jump on screen and stand there... then jump out... ?? (granted i haven't been playin the game that long..yet alone used all the strikers)

do you have to have a certain # of striker 'bombs' for them to do anything not combo related? ... or have i just used the wrong ones?....

It depends really on what character or striker your using..

Strikers in 2k and 2k1 have a certain "area of effect", the opponent has to stand near them/at a certain position or they won't do anything. Some of them only attack if the opponent is in air or locked into a throw, etc.

Take Ramon as a striker for example, he will jump out and land on your location, then dash forward and deliver a 6-hit combo but only if your opponent is within reach, if Ramon doesn't reach him after a few steps, he'll leave without doing anything. The striker with the largest area of effect is Seth, when called he will jump in and walk forward until he reaches the opp, then grabs and throws him which gives you enough time to continue with a juggle/combo.

Check out Kao Megura's King of Fighters 2000 FAQ 0.5 on Gamefaqs which contains a detailed list of all striker and another striker actions and tips on how to use them.

If you're looking for nice KoF2k/2k1 striker combos, use the search function or browse Gameplay, we had a number of interesting threads about that in here.

Contrary to popular belief, effective use of strikers needs quite some skill. However, SNK improved the system in 2k1 in that they took out the striker bombs and options to replenish them, specially the latter makes 2k's strikers a bit cheesy.