What LEGO Oughta Sell: Mass Effect Normandy SR-2

I generally have the creativity of a brick. Maybe that’s why I like LEGO bricks so much, particularly set with nice instructions I can follow.  But I admire  the people that can take a pile of LEGO and make something really cool out of it.  I often look at such creations and think “this is what LEGO oughta sell!”  LEGO creators can use LEGO Digital Designer to design models, from which they can upload instructions and box designs that people can then order real, custom sets from.  But designers are often good enough to make MOCs (My Own Creations) from scratch and don’t bother with the program, leaving us just to dream of what could be.  Like Ben Fellowes’ build of the Normandy SR-2 from the Mass Effect 2 videogame.  Compare the shot above with a shot of the ship from the game!

The Normandy SR-2 was built for Commander Shepard by the rogue, black ops organization Cerberus.  It’s based on the Systems Alliance’s SSV Normandy SR-1 starship, although about twice as big.  The LEGO model reflects that in being huge – over 4 feet long!  It has a nice Cerberus logo stand, and in a separate build Ben made a UT-47 Kodiak shuttle that fits inside (and was designed with LEGO Digital Designer, so you could make one too).

Check out Ben’s website for lots of shots of the Normandy SR-2, the UT-47 Kodiak, and other Mass Effect builds.

Book Impressions: Mass Effect: Ascension

I feel immersed in all things Mass Effect lately.  Aside from playing Mass Effect 2 on the Xbox 360 and playing Mass Effect Galaxy on my iPod Touch, I’ve been reading the Mass Effect: Ascension audiobook.  Author Drew Karpyshyn was the lead writer on the first Mass Effect game, is co-lead writer on Mass Effect 2, and also wrote the first Mass Effect novel, Mass Effect: Revelation.  I read and reviewed that novel.  How does this one stack up?