#Countdown Grand Prix 1999

[eurovision-revisited]

1999 Jerusalem - Number 11 - Sürpriz - "Reise Nach Jerusalem - Kudüs'e Seyahat"

Back to the videos and all the way back to Jerusalem for another Ralph Siegel entry. Germany's ever-present schlager-matic songwriter who's written about everything from penguins to Genghis Khan has written another song about peace, given it to a Turkish band and sent it to Jerusalem.

Except it didn't even win in the German national final Countdown Grand Prix. It came second by a large margin to Corinna May, the blind singer who went on to represent Germany at Eurovision in 2002. Her song Hör den Kindern einfach zu (Just Listen to the Children) was disqualified shortly after the final when it was discovered that the song had been released in 1997 by someone else. How these things slip through I don't know.

Luckily there was this in second place and Sürpriz went to Jerusalem with a song about going to Jerusalem. In a very Siegel way the song reference childhood, in this case a game of musical chairs, in which there's always someone left at the end when the music stops with nowhere left to sit. Instead of squabbles, the song says that peace is more important the childish games. The message is barely disguised; it's a subtle as a brick.

It's also a song sent by Germany with Turkish members. The last time Eurovision was in Israel, Turkey boycotted it. There are so many sensitivities here that you might imagine they would be tiptoed around, but no Siegel just goes 'peace everyone' and it was so popular it finished third at Eurovision.

Having said that - it is catchy. The Turkish instrumentation adds to what is essential a hook repeated many times until it insistently burrows its way into your brain via your eardrums. That can't have harmed it. That earworm is so stuck in my brain that it's wriggled its way up to 11th for my songs for 1999. Not too shabby.

Unsurprizingly Sürpriz were one-hit wonders. The band had probably been brought together for Eurovision this year by Siegel and his enablers.

[jigglypurin]

Lego Racers

      I distinctly remember the smell of the big box PC game's packaging as my parents pulled out of the Costco parking lot. Peppery, for some reason. I was about four or five. I couldn't help but crack the box open on the way home to read the manual and stare at the art, still bathed in that odd peppery smell. Rocket Racer, the game's final boss and posterboy, looked at me with his smug grin, and I knew I had to beat him. I was relatively new to playing video games and using the computer, but I knew enough to put the disc into the big tray, and wait for the autorun to hit Install.

      LEGO Racers is a 1999 kart-style racing game released for Windows (and N64 and PS1, but I never touched those), and it is the game I most closely associate with my very young childhood. There were definitely others I played around the time, my first personal console being a Gameboy, but I'll get to those eventually. When I think of Lego Racers, I lovingly remember the feeling of being at the family Windows 98 computer in what we called the sunroom (basically an afterthought built-on room to our house that faced west and had gigantic windows), and having my very first truly heart-poundingly tense moments before triumph in a game.

      I don't exactly remember how long it took me to finish. I spent most of my time in front of it coming up with little characters and making them the coolest little cars a five-year-old could imagine. Then, I'd take them into the test drive area and show off to the little pixel crowd in the stands.

      The game's box art and intro cutscene proudly display the game's seven circuit bosses: Captain Redbeard, a stock pirate fella with a simple but sleek treasure chest-engine car - King Kahuka, a hindsight racist tribal islander stereotype with a throne shaped car - Basil the Batlord, a vampire with a rad dragon-headed red and black low-profile car - Johnny Thunder, an Indiana Jones parody with a rather non-descript but cool looking car with head and tail lights - Baron Von Barron, Johnny's archnemesis with a sleek retro Jeep - Moth (whose name I will not say in its entirety), a blue alien queen with a cool blue moon-rover, and finally, Rocket Racer himself, whose autograph is scrawled across the game's cover art;  a man with his very own circuit named after himself, and a machine that screams *speed* with its arrow-shaped nose, cockpit style windshield, and rear rocket boosters. To my little 5 year old mind, these boss racers were on another level; truly skilled drivers I would need to give my all to defeat. 

      Gameplay-wise, it's a standard kart racing fare. Press gas at the right time during the countdown to boost, avoid obstacles, get power-ups and win. But getting to build and race your own car creations was half the fun as well. Legos being a special interest of mine as a kid made the game much more than the sum of its parts. I had a huge plastic tub filled with them. I still love building Lego cars to this day. It's unfortunate that the game is 2-players at most. Obviously important were the items: Red bricks were attacks like cannonballs and rockets, Yellow were hazards like oil-slicks and a mummy's curse that played with your controls, Blue were shields, and Green were speed boosters, with smaller White bricks that acted as level-ups for your items. I pretty quickly figured out that Green was the best. Why hit everyone or protect myself when I could just get so far ahead they couldn't touch me?

            The game has 13 tracks, 12 of which you will see before you are halfway finished. Each grand prix has 4 tracks, so the latter half of the boss racers simply have mirrored versions of the former's. Each track is based on a distinct Lego set from tech themed space and arctic, pirate laden and tomb raiding adventure and island, and wizard and warrior style medieval and magic. As you start a grand prix, you get a short scene of the boss driver taunting you and showing off their car. Against the boss, there was little room for error if you wanted 1st overall. Like most kart racers, you got points based on your position at the end of each race. And no matter what, the boss racer will finish first if you do not. No lie, making it to the final track with gold in sight never failed to get my little heart racing. Especially since you stopped dead in your tracks upon any crash. Getting hit by an enemy's attack was one thing. Annoying, but you could recover. Crashing into a wall and having to back up? Agony. Many of the later tracks had just such obstacles jutting out at right angles to end any hope of victory.

      After finishing a grand prix, the game shows you two cutscenes (unless you got 2nd or 3rd, then you get one, and it's not particularly flattering), first of your character triumphantly dancing upon a gigantic 1st place pedestal, showboating their gold trophy with fireworks and flash bulbs. After that rush of dopamine, because being five and winning enough points in the circuit to earn your way to 1st was already so much, the game gives you an extra mind-blowing moment of the circuit's boss racer, kicking the sand and 'aw shucks'-ing as they accept their defeat and present you with a brand new set of bricks to use for your cars and drivers (which initially, I remember scaring me as a kid? at least at first? They first appear in silhouette and I had no clue what was happening. I was an easily scared kid, you will learn more about that. It comes up a lot). I was stunned. Not only did the boss just tell me I'm a better racer - now I can *play as him*? And build *his car*? Transcendent. 

      Aurally, the sounds of this game are completely burned into my brain. The goofy, catchy theme that plays on the main menu, the bouncy garage theme, the squeaks and clicks of placing bricks, and the loud, distinct sounds of each powerup. Just watch a few moments of gameplay and you'll see (hear) what I mean. A few of the track themes as well I can still catch myself humming from time to time. 

Some good specific memories:

-A moment where my sister, 6 years my senior, was watching me, rooting for me as I took on Johnny Thunder's grand prix. On the final track, the reversed Captain Redbeard stage, I managed to snag a last minute un-powered up green boost brick. My blood ran cold and my pulse jumped as I leaned back in the chair, and barely rocketed ahead to take the win. We both cheered.

-The day where I both finally defeated Moth, an extremely fast racer with exceedingly difficult tracks, and finally met Rocket Racer himself, face to low-poly face. His cutscene is, for lack of a better word, epic in the mind of a child. Veronica Voltage, another racer who heads the Time Attack mode, congratulates you on your series of wins against the previous boss drivers, and says there's someone you should meet. A midi-orchestra begins to play. A massive metal door raises slowly, and Rocket Racer walks out of the shadows to your drivers shock. He acknowledges your skill and challenges you to race on his own track before turning and walking toward a swirling portal, laughing as he says "I'll be waiting for you... at the finish line." Tiny me was awestruck. This game rocks. Rocket's track, funnily enough, is kind of a joke once you've got it down. It's chock-full of green bricks and white upgrade bricks, so you can get the way overpowered Space Warp boost that just teleports you further ahead on the track. While Rocket also knows how to use those bricks well, at this point, you probably know how to use them better.

-Cracking open my big CD case some years later, age 10 or 11, and installing it on my own laptop. Getting to play Lego Racers in the comfort of my own bed was a dream come true. 

This first one is a little rambly and more about the game itself than my memories surrounding it. Honestly, that's because the game follows me to this day. I still own the disc. It's not installed (new lappy doesn’t have a disc drive lol), but I reminisce on it often. I've since emulated the N64 and PS1 versions, but neither hold a candle to the one I grew up with. It's a warm reminder of my days where Rocket Racer was the coolest motherfucker, getting a new Lego set would make my week, and little victories in games meant the world.

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burnout gamecube

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burnout gamecube

Burnout cheats & more for GameCube (GameCube)

Cheats

Unlockables

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Easter Eggs

Glitches

Guides

Get the updated and latest Burnout cheats, unlockables, codes, hints, Easter eggs, glitches, tricks, tips, hacks, downloads, guides, hints, FAQs, walkthroughs, and more for GameCube (GameCube). AllCheatsCodes.com has all the codes you need to win every game you play!

Use the links above or scroll down to see all the GameCube cheats we have available for Burnout.

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Genre: Racing, Sports Car Auto Racing Developer: Acclaim Publisher: Acclaim ESRB Rating: Everyone Release Date: April 30, 2002

Hints

Survival Strategies

Use the Roadater or the Supermini. The Roadster has the best handling, and the Supermini is the smallest. Race the course in Free Run to learn it inside and out. Race cautiously, but not slowly. Try to eliminate all outside distractions. You might be surprised how effective this is. Don’t get discouraged or frustrated; it can be done!

Unlock Saloon GT

Place 1st in Face Off 3.

The Selections Car Names And Years. Prt 1.

Ok so you want to know the “original” car names and years from the selections screen well here they are!

1.) 1998 Honda Civic SI.2.) 1997 Toyota MR2 coupe.3.) 1999 Lexus GS300 (underneath the car is a 1999 Toyota Camry SEL-V6).4.) 1991-2001 Dodge Viper GT-S coupe.5.) 1999 "Japan Only" Nissan Fontera SE-LXV8 model.

TIP: “Japan Only” means that that one particuarly model is only sold in Japan, but not anywhere else. They might sell that kind of car in America but not that “model range” of it. i.e. Nissan Fontera SE-LXV8.

The Secret Car Names And Years. Prt 2.

Ok so you want to know the the secret car names and years well here they are! The roadster is a 2001 Lotus Elise 111S, and the Saloon GT is a 2000-2001 Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R V-Spec. (The towtruck and bus are just made up by creaters of the game).

Power Slide

To power slide around turns, press the Brake while on the gas and turning.

Ending Bonuses

Successfully complete the game to unlock the Free Run mode (no vehicles on the road), Free Run Twin mode (two player Free Run), and Credits options.

Rush Hour Boost

On Rush Hour, you can drive on the wrong side of the road to keep your boost up. If you are good enough, you can use a non-stop turbo throughout the entire course.

Better Turns

When turning sharp corners, lightly tap the gas to turn sharper and slide less.

Quick Start

Accelerate immediately before the “1” fades during the pre-race countdown to start with a slight boost in speed.

Full Bonus

Drive a perfect lap (a lap without any accidents) and your bonus will be automatically filled.

Unlock Survival Mode

Place 1st in Euro Marathon in the Championship mode. (You must first complete the championships Journeyman and Big Run Grand Prix before Euro Marathon will be available.)

Unlock Twilight Grand Prix

Complete the Savage Streets Grand Prix.

Easy Way To Build Up Boost #1

Get close to cars and get near misses.

Unlock Euro Marathon

Complete the Big Run Grand Prix.

Easy Way To Build Up Boost #2

Go into oncoming traffic and stay there. After you past 250m the boost will build up.

Unlock USA Marathon

Complete the Twilight Grand Prix.

Unlock Big Run Grand Prix

Complete the Journeyman Grand Prix.

Unlock Savage Streets Grand Prix

Complete the Euro Marathon.

Unlock Face Off Mode.

Complete the Journeyman Grand Prix.

Unlock Bus

Place 1st in Face Off 4.

Unlock Tow Truck

Place 1st in Face Off 2.

Unlock Roadster

Place 1st in Face Off 1.

Cheats

Currently we have no cheats or codes for Burnout yet. If you have any unlockables please feel free to submit. We will include them in the next post update and help the fellow gamers. Remeber to mention game name while submiting new codes.

Unlockables

Currently we have no unlockables for Burnout yet. If you have any unlockables please feel free to submit. We will include them in the next post update and help the fellow gamers. Remeber to mention game name while submiting new codes.

Easter eggs

Currently we have no easter eggs for Burnout yet. If you have any unlockables please feel free to submit. We will include them in the next post update and help the fellow gamers. Remeber to mention game name while submiting new codes.

Glitches

Currently we have no glitches for Burnout yet. If you have any unlockables please feel free to submit. We will include them in the next post update and help the fellow gamers. Remeber to mention game name while submiting new codes.

Guides

Currently no guide available.

[eurovision-revisited]

1999 Jerusalem - Number 25 - Patrick Lindner - "Ein bißchen Sonne, ein bißchen Regen"

More controversy. Patrick Lindner in 1999 was a big name. He was a former chef turned Volksmusik singer. By 1997 he had his on show on ZDF, and as well as being well-known TV presenter, he'd also appeared in a couple of German-language films.

In 1997 two things happened. First he moved away from traditional Alpine Volksmusik and started making more conventional pop - which went on to sell well. Rumours about a relationship between him and his manager Michael Link also began to circulate. Those rumours were only getting louder and more scandalous in 1999. In 1999, there weren't any openly gay TV personalities, especially ones from such a conservative background.

1999 was also the year that he entered the German national final for the only time in his career with Ein bißchen Sonne, ein bißchen Regen (A Bit of Sun, a Bit of Rain). And yes, it's minor-keyed schlager with a message of hope for those having a bad day. It's a singalong, with a feel good message about riding life's roller coaster and enjoying the rainbows you see along the way.

So far, so very, very Eurovision. But then there's the end of this performance.

That is absolutely not Eurovision. Not at all.

The boos rain down from the crowd to make Patrick's day more rainy than sunny. The Countdown Grand Prix 1999, Germany's national final, took place on 12th March 1999. At this point, Patrick wasn't out. He was also being asked not to reveal his sexuality or his relationships publicly, by a highly conservative music industry. So when he was asked about these things, and he was asked about them frequently, he denied it. 1999 was a very different time and place than today.

Perhaps it was those boos that changed something. Later the same year Patrick gave an interview in which he came out. The first major act in the German music industry to do so. He later described it as a forced outing. In 1999, he also released an album entitled Strong Enough. In total Patrick Linder has released 29 albums and over 75 singles. Yes - more than 75 singles.

In 2020 he married his long-time partner and at the age of 63 and released his most recent single I Want You to Be Happy. He sees himself a link between the gay community and conservative German communities.

[eurovision-revisited]

The Best National Final of 1999

Before I get into why Şarkı Yarışması 1999 is the best national final of 1999, let's talk about what the hell is going on with national finals generally in 1999.

The rules shake up with televoting coming in has spooked many delegations. After Greece's experiment with a selection final last year, this time round France goes for it. But half-heartedly. They still have 50% jury voting, and they have also included an orchestra when Eurovision doesn't have one. Others carry on in the same vein as before to see what happens. Weirdly it feels as if no country wants to take a big risk, with a couple of honourable exceptions.

One of those is Türkiye. Their set up is the same as before, but after their good results in the mid-1990s their confidence is growing. The production values of Şarkı Yarışması 1999 are a big step forward. The selection of songs they have to chose from is also great, with few poor entries and many stand-out numbers. They many not have selected what, in my opinion, is the best song they could have done, but it was great showing nonetheless.

Equal with Şarkı Yarışması 1999 in terms of song selection was The Great British Song Contest 1999. In fact it probably had a better set of songs to choose from. However the BBC's lack of investment in it led to the two best songs never making it to TV. The whole of the TV section of the competition once again feels like a special episode of Top of the Pops - itself becoming a faded star in 1999.

The French final is fun and generally more varied than others. A good live experience, but not quite suited to the Eurovision final as it had become.

Given that the final in Jerusalem in 1999 and there's still wars going on in the Balkans and in Africa, there's a lot of peace and love type entries. There are fewer jokes entries in 1999, national finals. Even those that are there seem to have some actual intent about them other than just making a fool of themselves and the whole concept of Eurovision. There are several countries which explicitly include a song that directly address Israel and Jerusalem in a positive way. The most notable of these is Germany.

The Countdown Grand Prix 1999 in Germany is a weird final. Not only did the winner get disqualified for a song that had been released two years prior to the final, the whole enterprise has become rowdier with an excitable and reactionary crowd. There's loud booing of some acts, and I don't know if this is wholly booing against favoured songs or if in each case, like with Patrick Lindner, there's specific reasons.

Of course Sanremo is great, but again RAI, Italy's not in Eurovision so I can't select it as the best national final of 1999.

So much indecision and tiptoeing around in 1999 - it's not clear where all of this heading, but at least some countries are having fun. Thank you Türkiye and the UK for this year.