Excellent set. My favorite from the series!

One of the best play sets ever. Spectacular playability and functionality.

I love this theme. Still. But all the alien builds were very rough to me.

It looks good but kind of bulky I think.

Because this set was a retail exclusive, it has ended up becoming the most expensive Mars Mission set on the aftermarket. Right now, the cheapest price on Bricklink for this set 115$ which a shame, because I really want this set, but can't justify paying that much for it.
If anyone else in here is interested in getting it without paying the full Bricklink price, I would recommend trying to part it out, as none of the individual parts in this set are particularly rare or expensive.

@tne328 said:
" @MCLegoboy said:
"Mars Mission, a wonderful theme where heroic astronauts mine Mars' resources of crystals from cruel aliens that inhabited the world long before their visitors and are attacking with the illusion of defending themselves and their homeworld.
Wait..."

Actually, I heard that the aliens in this series were NOT native to Mars (see Life on Mars for what native Martians really looked like), so the Mars Mission team really were defenders.
"

I'm pretty sure @MCLegoboy knew that, I think that's what he was implying when he said "the illusion of defending themselves and their homeworld." emphasis on "illusion"

One of the best sets ever! This was the last one my brother and I needed to complete our Mars Mission Collection, and we finally found it last christmas! Such a fantastic set.

The only good set of this theme. Fun fact - it was designed to be a Power miners vechicle.

@ElephantKnight said:
"Mas Mission ain't no Blacktron (But it's got white and black. Just in the wrong balance, and that silly orange colour instead of glorious neon green) but it's still pretty bad-ass. I never got got this one, but I wouldn't pass it up at a good price. Maybe."

Is there any collection between the green jelly aliens with the black and lime green ships and the Blacktrons? If anyone knows, it'll be you!

From beautiful Blacktron nostalgia to this umbaran mobile heavy cannon wannabee? Mars mission/life on mars is were i lost interest in space untill space police 3.

@lordofdragonss: I believe you, but can you link to a source or something? I'd like to know the rest of the story.

I love this set; its big, robust and undeniably cool. I like the use of 2m dampers in the feet to give it traction

@chaosderek said:
"From beautiful Blacktron nostalgia to this umbaran mobile heavy cannon wannabee? Mars mission/life on mars is were i lost interest in space untill space police 3. "
My first thought was Umbaran MHC too! Turns out, the Umbarans 'copied' @Nabii; LEGO released this before the MHC appeared in the Clone Wars.

(I'm expecting\hoping to be schooled on the subject of prior prone-walkers with massive guns on their backs.)

I only have 3 of the smallest sets of this theme, but that didn't stop it from becoming my favorite childhood space theme.

An absolute winner of a set. I got one a couple of years ago - money well spent. It really is the magnum opus of Mr. Stafford, along with Galactic Enforcer from SP III.

It's also probably my favorite Space set ever, but it's hard to choose between it and Mega Core Magnetizer. The only real complaint I have is that the "observation shuttle" just slides into its place, but doesn't attach with anything (clip, pin etc.).

That's what I call multitasking on advanced level.

@MCLegoboy said:
"Mars Mission, a wonderful theme where heroic astronauts mine Mars' resources of crystals from cruel aliens that inhabited the world long before their visitors and are attacking with the illusion of defending themselves and their homeworld.
Wait..."

Yup..... yup. Where are the brave smiley explorers in their monotone outfits now? I miss the innocence of classic space.... I'm so old :D

@iwybs said:
" @lordofdragonss: I believe you, but can you link to a source or something? I'd like to know the rest of the story."
I wish I had it. Mark Stafford said that in one interview. It also said that this set was inspired by his dog (who get on the Logo) xD

I really want to say it's awesome, but that top gunner looks a little too busy. Very cool otherwise.

I so desperatly want this, however, it was LEx in Germany so it's hard to get by. Prices are between 150 - 320€ last time I looked on ebay. =(

The theme is SO lame but a few sets are still OUTSTANDING, like this one

Always wish i could go back and get the sets i wnated from the okd days :( like mars mission,power miners Indiana jones, etc :’(

Cool Set, but takes soo much shelf space. I had it battle against the Nexo Force walker :)

To those complaining about the prices - there are numerous Mars Mission bulk lots on eBay. I was able to complete the whole series (maybe save some smaller sets I don't care about) for under 200 EUR including multiple duplicate top-range sets, and buy a few missing pieces from BL.

This is the last generation of "old school" LEGO by the way. Beginning next year LEGO starts showing more and more "dense and detailed" (and more expensive) models.
Only this year's SW models so far indicate that LEGO may have finally realized, that many of their models are just too good (and expensive) indeed...
I like the older "crude" sets, because they make you want to improve / rebuild them, instead of being display-grade models.

I got very little of Mars Mission, alas. By 2008 I was well out of my dark ages, but Star Wars and Indiana Jones were soaking up so much of my LEGO money all by themselves.

@Brickalili said:
" @LegoDavid said:
" @lordofdragonss said:
"The only good set of this theme."

I would argue all the sets from this theme actually maintained a pretty consistent level of good quality. Put a bunch of those Mars Mission sets together in a display, and they'll all look amazing together.

I never understood why some people expressed such a big dislike for this theme? I constantly see people saying how ugly the designs and color scheme is, but I beg the differ..."

People don’t like this theme? Alright the alien “minifigs” themselves were a bit naff but both factions’ vehicles were pretty rad. Only one I think I don’t care for is the biggest human ship simply because trying to fit weaponry on all its separating pieces means the thing looks a mess when all connected. But ones like this, the Reaper, the dropship? All pretty cool as far as I’m concerned "

I had a chance to build all Lego space sets. Mars mission sets indeed look good, but hey are flimsy unplayable messes with wasted spaces and functions that seem unfinished.
This series is full of amazimng pieces and great colorsheme though!

@chaosderek:
Well, it’s a mechanical drill, so the range is pretty limited.

@lordofdragonss said:
" @Brickalili said:
" @LegoDavid said:
" @lordofdragonss said:
"The only good set of this theme."

I would argue all the sets from this theme actually maintained a pretty consistent level of good quality. Put a bunch of those Mars Mission sets together in a display, and they'll all look amazing together.

I never understood why some people expressed such a big dislike for this theme? I constantly see people saying how ugly the designs and color scheme is, but I beg the differ..."

People don’t like this theme? Alright the alien “minifigs” themselves were a bit naff but both factions’ vehicles were pretty rad. Only one I think I don’t care for is the biggest human ship simply because trying to fit weaponry on all its separating pieces means the thing looks a mess when all connected. But ones like this, the Reaper, the dropship? All pretty cool as far as I’m concerned "

I had a chance to build all Lego space sets. Mars mission sets indeed look good, but hey are flimsy unplayable messes with wasted spaces and functions that seem unfinished.
This series is full of amazimng pieces and great colorsheme though!"

I have the Hypersonic Operations Aircraft, and from my experince it isn't flimsy at all. On the contrary, the build is quite sturdy, and the functions allow you the grab the whole ship using a single Technic handle, and activate a buggy dropping function that works very well, providing with a lot of playability as well.

I remember ignoring this theme at the time because it seemed inferior to the earlier Life on Mars. Looking back though, seems it had some interesting sets too. Today's random set has a certain Star Trek quality with the vague resemblance to the ST shuttle and the other black ship looks a bit like the Vulcan shuttle from Star Trek The Motion Picture!

As this theme happened during my dark ages, I feel zero connection to it.
The backstory mentioned also sounds kind of meh to me. I prefer Classic Space which left the story to your imagination.

Otoh, looking through the parts list of this set I was amazed at how many useful pieces (bricks, plates, slopes) it contains. Certainly does not look like it at first glance.

The space theme I own the most sets from. Loved the alien mothership.

If only I could go back in time...
Missed out on a lot of Mars Mission sets. Not getting the Crystal Reaper is my biggest regret, and looking at this one, I wouldn't mind owning it as well...

@bananaworld said:
"
@chaosderek said:
"From beautiful Blacktron nostalgia to this umbaran mobile heavy cannon wannabee? Mars mission/life on mars is were i lost interest in space untill space police 3. "
My first thought was Umbaran MHC too! Turns out, the Umbarans 'copied' @Nabii; LEGO released this before the MHC appeared in the Clone Wars.

(I'm expecting\hoping to be schooled on the subject of prior prone-walkers with massive guns on their backs.)
"

More Star Wars stuff copied from Lego: this little set 6809 is certainly the inspiration for Darth Maul "speeder" on Tatooine.

@ToaofPlastic said:
" @tne328 said:
" @MCLegoboy said:
"Mars Mission, a wonderful theme where heroic astronauts mine Mars' resources of crystals from cruel aliens that inhabited the world long before their visitors and are attacking with the illusion of defending themselves and their homeworld.
Wait..."

Actually, I heard that the aliens in this series were NOT native to Mars (see Life on Mars for what native Martians really looked like), so the Mars Mission team really were defenders.
"
I'm pretty sure @MCLegoboy knew that, I think that's what he was implying when he said "the illusion of defending themselves and their homeworld." emphasis on "illusion"
"
Nope, totally out of the loop. I think I had heard it before, but I forgot and I always just relegated Life on Mars and Mars Mission as wholly separate universes because there is generally not an official canon to LEGO, just easter eggs. Themes have their own canons, but rarely is there crossover and a "PIXAR Theory" doesn't manifest except for super scrutinizing fans.