After having finished my first complete series review (check them out, if you like), I have made it some sort of good habit for myself to review some sets of my collection in my free time. And with that and my deep passion for LEGO Space, I'll go on to review this space-themed series from the late 2000s.
This was the first larger Mars Mission set I got my hands on. I got it in used condition via Ebay, but it was in a very good shape, all stickers applied, no parts missing. And I have to say, while this set has not SO many parts (less than 500), it comes out as an awesome playset and even looks great!

Parts

As with most larger sets of this series, we have quite some special parts. The large orange cockpit screen is worth mentioning, as well as the two containment/transport pods, the booster rockets and, of course, the spring-loaded shooter. There are also two pipe-like connectors, several discs and a lot of transparent blasters in both blue (astronauts) and yellow (aliens). All in all, lots of parts that make playing with the set fun and hold opportunities to be used in MOCs. Eleven stickers have to be applied to this model, which is a fair amount.

Minifigures

Five minifigures are included in this set, which is a good number for a medium-to-larger sized set. We have two astronauts and three standard green Martians, one of them being entrapped in a containment pod of the dropship. One astronaut pilots the small drilling car and has to stay in its cockpit. There is no gear for either the astronauts or the aliens.

The build

The drill unit and the alien ship are built first. While the small car is quite simple, the build of both the larger dropship and the smaller alien vehicle are quite interesting. The main structure of the white-and-orange ship is made of TECHNIC parts for great stability. The landing gear and the wings are also attached via TECHNIC pins after the central body is finished. The cockpit is also built individually and attached via a ball joint for great moveability. The cargo/containment pods are also attached to the long central TECHNIC bars.
The alien ship gets its interesting look by fixing the discus-like parts to each side via cross axles and a part named "Module Bush", which also acts as base for the side blasters. Interesting solution!
All in all, the build is manageable, maybe a little difficult for some younger or inexperienced builders.

The completed model

Making good use of TECHNIC bars and large shaped bricks, the finished dropship reaches quite an impressive size. In addition to that, it has some nice functions for good playability. The obvious part first: underneath the long central part the drill unit is suspended. The mechanism is quite simple: two rubber dampers are fixed next to each other and stiffened with red cross axles. The bail that is atop the small car is simply clipped between these two rubber parts. It holds very well, the car just dangles around a little. It can be “dropped” by simply pulling it out from underneath the transporter. The large cockpit can move quite freely in various directions due to the ball joint it is placed on. To the left and right are some impressive blaster batteries as well as a fully rotating heavy blaster respectively. The cockpit itself is better than most cockpits of this series, having controls and some sort of monitor and navigational computer. The main torso has two wings, the left one with two more blasters and the right one holding the reliable spring-loaded shooter. The large, immobile landing gear gives the model a good stand. Behind the hold for the drill car are the hangers for the containment/cargo-pods, which can also move in various directions. The tail fin holds two massive thrusters, which can also be moved up and down for steering.
The small mining unit is a simple drill-platform with a small, control-less cockpit. Observe, how nicely the drill arm folds up!
The alien ship is a simple, yet nice-looking vehicle without further functions. It houses two pilots with, again, no controls and a fair amount of blasters. The front-facing triple blaster can spin around.

Overall opinion

While this series has created quite some WTF-moments for me and gave me some of the most ridiculous, poorly designed unfinished looking sets, it also has sets like this one, where almost everything fits and works out fine. I was impressed by the good size the main model turned out to be, I did not expect it to be that large. The cockpit is well-designed and perfect for a large transport, with its manoeuvrability to observe the landing zone. The ship has a very good amount of blasters, not too much, not too less, for its size. The rotating blasters and the spring-loaded shooter are perfect for creating epic space battles or clashes for valuable crystals. Even though the two orange pods tend to sway a little and never seem to be on the same level, they are a good addition and contribute to the transport aspect of the model. It is fascinating: This model manages to look bulky and massive on one hand and elegant and speedy on the other. Awesome! Also, the simple, but nice secondary models add greatly to the playability and overall worth of the set.
What can be mentioned as a little negative point is, of course, the stupid aliens with their poor placement and the lack of controls in both the alien ship and the miner. But these small blemishes can't ruin the overall picture of a great set with lots of potential to become one's favourite set!

The MX-71 is my favorite set of the Mars Mission line, It's perfectly constructed, with almost no flaws what so ever. The set itself has one more piece than it's larger companion, the ETX Alien Mothership Assault. While being smaller than it's Alien Companion, it has more detail, a better shape, more features and it has 3 VEHICLES!

Build was pretty easy, though it was all fun. the 7-14 age is pretty right, but if you know me well enough, you're never too old for LEGO, so I would say 7+, anyone 7+ Will love this set.

The Alien Craft has no real features other than the spinning turret, but it's the most swooshable thing in the set.

The Driller and the Dropship are the two highlights of the set. The Driller is very basic, other than the clip on it used for a later feature. The Dropship can carry 2 Alien/Crystal Racks, Shoot a missile and Clip on (Pretty Securely) The Driler.

Because of the Features and build, it easily gets a 5/5, it is up there with the MT-101 Drilling Unit, both sets are an example of Lego Perfection.

The main ship of Mars Mission, a must get (For under $70 if you can find one)

Box/Instructions

Box is normal $49.99 CAD Size for this set

Parts

Pretty Basic, but Useful for parts.

Minifigures

Aliens are terrible figures, but the Astronauts are great, even if they ARE common.

The build

Pretty Normal.

The completed model

Great looking, Great Playability, Great Set for all three vehicles

Overall opinion

9.7/10

This set is great set. I got this set for my birthday almost 3 years ago. It was way cool! I will seperate my review into 6 sections.
ALIEN ASSAULT SHIP.That ship looks like it could punch a hole threw anything.Its small but its also strong,and well armored. Includes hard to find circular pieces and some neon-green poles.
MINING UNIT.A great little rover with a drill. The drill also folds up so it can fit into the dropship. The cockpit is not air tight but the astronaut has his suit on so that he doesn't sufficate. Also has a small radar for calling for help from the dropship.
DROPSHIP.The main part of the set. Its has two great cargo sled transport tubes for transporting aliens and chrystals. The dropship has two rubber pieces that attach to the rover so that you can pick it up and fly away. The Dropship is also the second most armed ship in the Mars Mission fleet. Equipped with twin lasers on turrets and a electro rocket launcher. The ship also has a double-barrel wing mounted laser cannon. It even has six lasers mounted on the underside of the ship.
MINI-FIGS. Nice.4 aliens and 2 astronauts.One of them has the face of Alpha team agent dash from 2004
PIECES. Very very good.I think the trans-orange cockpits are only in Mars Mission.Hard to find drill.trans-blue and trans-neon green pieces are always a great edition to any piece collection.
OVERALL. Stupendous set.From the vehicles to the Mini-figures.Buy it if you can get for $55 or less.

• Hi everyone!

this set is completely awesome! It is in 3 main parts.Drilling rover,dropship and alien strike ship. i'll split this into 3 parts as well.

1. the dropship

pros:

• many laser guns on cockpit and wings
• swivelling cockpit
• folding wings
• compartments for crystals/aliens
• interesting landing gear
• clip for driller
• missile launcher
• you can connect the astro fighter behind the wings!(astro fighter sold seperately)

cons:

• orange tubes are slightly irritating.

2.the drilling rover

pros:

• nice drill,very maneouverable
• cockpit is in a very rare colour for that particular brick, transparent orange!
• clips onto recon dropship perfectly!

cons:

• wheels only really work on carpets.

3.the ETX alien strike ship

pros:

• different design from other alien ships, which are just the basic cockpit and wings.
• seats 2 aliens
• rotating laser cannon on the front!
• 4 sideguns
• very aerodynamic
• the colour scheme is very eerie and alien!

cons:

• no cons!

overall I think this is a must have set. The price is reasonable,it has lots of playability,the pieces are good and it is a great addition to the theme.

next time you get some money, buy it!