Star City Blog

ConStellation Nebraska Convention to Combine Science Fiction, Animation, Video Games and More

 By Indigo Zgud

Did your imagination survive so-called “maturity”? Do heroes, villains and other occupants of the imaginary realm awaken your inner kid? If so, then Lincoln’s second annual ConStellation convention is an event you won’t want to miss.

Lincoln’s Guest House Inn and Suites, 5250 Cornhusker Highway, will host the three-day pop culture convention this Friday through Saturday. ConStellation meshes the worlds of science fiction, anime and gaming into a one-of-a-kind event.

Though ConStellation is currently the only convention of its kind in the Lincoln area, this hasn’t always been the case.

“Lincoln has a long history of sci-fi conventions, at least from the '90s on,” said Noel Judd, assistant convention chair and former head of security. “But people ran out of time, money ..."

Then, about seven years ago, founder Jeff Ifland started thinking about how to start conventions in Lincoln again, but with a broader focus.

"He has an interest in science fiction books, anime, animation and game design," Judd continued, "and pretty much everybody he knew that was interested in one those things was interested in more than one of those things.”

VIDEO GAME REVIEW: "Dragon Age II" Trades Depth for Accessibility, Storytelling

By Wade Larson

Rating: 4/5 stars,

Systems: PS3, Xbox 360, PC

Sometimes less is more. At least, that must be the thinking behind "Dragon Age II."

"Dragon Age II" follows the tale of Hawke, a refugee from the blight of "Dragon Age: Origins," who must stake his claim in a new city and rise from the ashes to become a hero of legend. Along the way there are plenty of spells, swords, monsters and dragons. It’s gritty high-fantasy at its finest.

BioWare, makers of standout role-playing series "Mass Effect," have put into practice here something that worked well for "Mass Effect 2." The combat has been spiced up and the party management has been stripped down to keep the focus on the action and the story, instead of players being forced to spend half their time navigating menus and comparing item stats and skills effects.

While the tactic worked brilliantly in "Mass Effect," allowing the game’s combat and characters shine, in "Dragon Age II," the trade-off is a steep one.