Sign in to follow this  
-R8-

REVIEW: 6456 Mission Control

On a scale from 1 to 5:  

13 members have voted

  1. 1. How do you rate this set?

    • 1 - Poor
      0
    • 2 - Below Average
    • 3 - Average
    • 4 - Above Average
    • 5 - Outstanding


Recommended Posts

index2.jpg

...way out there beyond this hick town, Barnaby

There's a slick town, Barnaby

Out there...

From my first few days in the Reviewers Academy here, I already decided that my teacher level review would be this great old classic set - Mission Control. Although it wasn't the first set I received, it was the first "large" set that I was given a chance to build as a little kid. This was always plopped up next to my Town Jr. sets and such wonderful fun to play with. It's quite a marvel to see your first LEGO sets years later, perhaps not as clean nor as shiny as some of your newer sets, but far more special than anything else in your collection.

Now, without any further ado - 3, 2, 1, LIFTOFF! :laugh:

5843289262_7238662313_o.jpg

Name: 6456 Mission Control

Theme: Space Port

Year: 1999

Pieces: 494

Minifigs: 4

Price: USD 79.99

Further References: Brickset.com, Bricklink.com, Peeron.com, flickr

The Box

5842743597_b7e47d81af_o.jpg

Picture supplied by Bricklink. The box is very kid-friendly, and very captivating especially since it's a Space-themed set. No kid would refuse the light and sound functions too! I wonder where the background is supposed to be - maybe some vast desert on Earth? The landscape looks like some place on Mars, although the minifigures aren't wearing any astronaut gear of any sort. What does it matter though, the real excitement is in outer space!

The Instructions: Front Cover

5842743517_a8a2582321_o.jpg

Many large sets before 2000 or so came with multiple instruction booklets (or sheets) that pertained to one part of the set. It's great when you have multiple people building the same set simultaneously, eliminating the need to share an instruction booklet.

The Instructions: Back Cover

5842743539_d8f212f863_o.jpg

All of them depict the same thing on the back, essentially a duplicate of the box design. I really like the sky blue and the 'dusty' orange colors here. They evoke a lot of nostalgia for some reason, and somehow remind me of a lot of those arcade space games prominent in the 80s and 90s.

The Stickers

5842743565_52e6b153e2_o.jpg

5843288866_d53fb1c91d_o.jpg

Pictures provided by Bricklink. Whoa, sparkly *huh* That's definitely one of the most interesting sticker sheets I've ever seen. But twelve years later a good many of them have suffered some pretty severe cracking, forcing me to use some scotch tape to prevent any further damage. :cry_sad: It's a curious thing I've noticed in a lot of older sets. There are much more printed parts than there are today, but at the same time there's often a healthy amount of stickers to go along with them. Sticker sheets have been around for quite a while. :wink:

The Pieces

5842740113_5c0b347788_o.jpg

Mostly a lot of bricks and plates and tiny greebling elements. I really like the wing plate. It works great for its main purpose as an aircraft component, but also looks like a whale fin. Little odd and random for me to point that out in a review, I know, but hey, they did all used to tell us that LEGO can be anything we wanted it to be :grin:

5842740145_97a041c892_o.jpg

Another reason why I chose to do this set as my final review - I figured that I needed to face the challenge of shooting a ton of white pieces on a white background. :laugh: The discoloration of many of the pieces from sunlight is evident, but such is the hallmark of classic sets that got us all hooked onto the LEGO hobby.

5842740175_fc0959ca2d_o.jpg

More 'spacey' elements can be found here. The hose is actually three separate pieces, but I left them connected together since I didn't want to risk any possible damage to the hose itself - I'm pretty sure they've been connected together since I got the set.

5842740189_4becd6e061_o.jpg

The set contains a substantial amount of parts in many colors. Usually in sets today you'd find parts in odd colors acting as support and concealed from view, but here they're used prominently in the overall design of the set.

5842740211_777eaf74dd_o.jpg

No space set is complete without any fun transparent and chrome colored pieces!

5842740251_2fbf32fb2f_o.jpg

:wub: Many of us like to reminisce about the days when LEGO used to package baseplates in your average playset, even in some of the smaller ones. A 32x32 tan baseplate is pretty rare, although today you can also find one in the beautiful Grand Emporium set.

Notable Pieces

5843285492_39518fc332_o.jpg

Yep - the farther you go back in time, the more 'notable' pieces you'll find. That seems to be a general trend amongst all reviewers. :grin: Aside from the printed and transparent elements though, the most unique thing you'll find here would be the electrical light and sound engine. This is one of the very few sets to feature both light and sound functions. Believe it or not, there was yet another set in the Space Port line that also had this very same piece - 6454 Countdown Corner. It's pretty neat that you could even find it in small sets that only contained about 130 pieces in it.

The Minifigures: Front

5842740309_53ef2db5b6_o.jpg

I admire the ground control maintenance workers (in red) a lot. Pretty much your average scientist guy with glasses and a headset, these guys' heads were previously found in the Divers theme, and would later make a reappearance in Life on Mars (which I didn't realize until now, despite collecting a lot of LoM sets too!). The old guy's head made its debut in Space Port, notably used afterwards for scientist, train conductor, and Steven Spielberg minifigures. Finally, I'm really liking the astronaut's helmet. It's so reflective...enough to see my own reflection in it *oh2*

The Minifigures: Back

5842740349_1836e9c16e_o.jpg

Nothing much to note here, but the astronaut has two studs in the back of her helmet for attaching whatever on it.

Astronaut

5843285556_646eaae286_o.jpg

She was my first female minifigure :laugh: Her head is just a standard female head with some hair and a headset. She proudly bears the Space Port logo on her suit, ready to explore the depths of outer space.

The Build

Transporter Vehicle, Steps 5, 10

5842740395_7cf44a444f_m.jpg5843285620_ae1acdb85b_m.jpg

A simple little warm-up build. Meant for carrying precious moon rocks around the site.

Launch Pad, Steps 5, 10, 14

5843285644_ae976ce960_m.jpg5842740473_9666b2f3bb_m.jpg

5842740501_2cf75f2fa7_m.jpg

Capable of carrying space shuttles worth billions of dollars that weigh many times its own weight, no launch is complete without the launch pad for the rocket to sit on. Also a good excuse to include some treads in the set :blush:

Space Shuttle

Front Section, Steps 8, 16

5843285732_41d953aac0_m.jpg5842740561_d8c855f612_m.jpg

The essence of the space shuttle is captured here in this relatively small front section. The space shuttle was cleverly designed to be modular, which will be featured more later on.

Middle Section, Steps 8, 17

5843285808_02fe06cdde_m.jpg5842740645_dfde815139_m.jpg

Although it could have just been a section with absolutely nothing in it, the designers made great use of the space here to include a deployable satellite! It has the year 2000 on it, which at one point in history seemed like such a futuristic and amazing time to live in.

Tail Section, Steps 7, 14

5842740667_1aa9afb7a8_m.jpg5842742985_7b92d1e87e_m.jpg

And last but not least, the powerhouse that launches the rocket miles into the heavens. Two AA batteries are required to make it light up and emit its futuristic and spacey sounds.

5843288240_a3406f8c24_o.jpg

Modularity for easy assembly and disassembly! Just attach and clip everything together:

5842742963_dff446ea1f_o.jpg

And the shuttle is ready for liftoff!

Space Station, Steps 6, 12

5843288460_f98a580511_m.jpg5843288492_4b0d6e7973_m.jpg

Building up from the ground, this part of the assembly is very enjoyable due to all the cool details located on the station.

Steps 18, 21, 32

5842743229_1875fd88b1_m.jpg5843288538_cea321ae66_m.jpg

5843288574_776b773725_m.jpg

This is a fairly quicker build than what you might expect. It makes good use of the space provided for by the baseplate, without making it seem too crowded. Once everything is combined...

Design and Playability

The Set

5842743435_31e7bd4ee2_o.jpg

Commence the countdown procedure!

Front View

5843288612_ac78b2f94c_o.jpg

In reality, everything here would be completely toasted with the heat coming from the engine :laugh: But even at first glance, it's a fantastic playset with a ton of features to explore.

Side Views

5843288658_ba4dcf862b_o.jpg5842743417_80c2a55991_o.jpg

I must say that the space shuttle looks quite majestic just standing there, waiting for the cue for takeoff. I also really like the details and equipment that you can see from the side of the station. Not one area is neglected with a lack of detail or a play function.

Rear View

5843288696_215f51f655_o.jpg

The above applies to the back view as well. It's not simply an empty skeleton running along the back of the shuttle; it's a full fledged station equipped with a lot of play features.

Its current counterpart today is set 3368 Space Center (which coincidentally has the exact amount of pieces, 494 :oh: ). I'm always a sucker for the older sets, so obviously I'm going to say that the '99 version is better. But I think all the retro elements, large amount of play features, and admittedly, my own sentimentality makes me favor this set far more than the other one.

The Space Shuttle

Front View

5843288264_675725466c_o.jpg

I like this shuttle. A solid build, and doesn't use too many of those large '<insert that tiresome argument>' pieces. The clips reinforcing the modules together look out of place, but they're there for kids to easily be able to remove them and take the shuttle apart.

Side Views

5842743107_f27050518c_o.jpg5843288314_1ee5b6eb12_o.jpg

A little bit empty looking from the side, but there are some stickers to break up all that white. The tail fin at the end also completes the shuttle's shape nicely.

Rear View

5843288348_35bdb588b2_o.jpg

The landing gear isn't retractable, but they're just modified plates with wheels on it, so they can simply be detached when the rocket is in flight mode.

Nose Cone

5843286128_f39cda490d_o.jpg

A plastic cockpit is one of the many things that would melt upon reentry into the atmosphere, although it's better than no cockpit at all!

Engines

5843286160_b4658c3c71_o.jpg

This particular trans-red piece was specially produced for the electric engine piece, and doesn't really serve any other purpose (aside from some really far-fetched use that has yet to be brought to light in a MOC). Once the buttons are pressed on the engine, this lights up to produce the flame effect coming from the engine, which you can see in the video a few pictures below.

Satellite

5842743129_3c754895ba_o.jpg

The mid-section can open up to deploy the satellite, and alternatively can carry the moon rock too. Perhaps even a group of alien prisoners can be held in here too. :devil:

Mini-Rocket

5843288430_8c12b86b97_o.jpg

Thanks to the modularity, the middle part can be removed to make a mini-rocket...for nightly cruises around the moon I bet? :look:

Light and Sound Functions

What could be more fun than swooshing this around while holding down all the buttons? :grin:

Docking

5843285900_e72f3123c3_o.jpg

When it comes time for liftoff, the launch pad can back up into the station and connect itself onto the hook.

Fueling Station

5843285924_979ceb0cbd_o.jpg

Next a maintenance worker arrives and fills 'er up.

World Map

5842740777_2b723b76cb_o.jpg

This was one of the stickers that cracked the most, unfortunately. :sad: Because I liked the design so much, I wrapped some scotch tape around the piece to preserve the sticker. I'm not sure what the curved lines on the map are supposed to indicate - it appears to be some sort of monitor for flight patterns though.

Command Center

5842740799_cb5fa37bbb_o.jpg

From the control center of the mission, everything minute detail is regulated here. Loving that golden disco ball on top. Maybe the designers still had their minds in the 70s at the time. :classic:

5842740831_f2de6d2762_o.jpg

The ground mission chief makes sure all the conditions are optimal for the shuttle to take off.

Examination Area

5843286066_26123d1174_o.jpg

Salvaged moon rocks are taken here to be broken apart and reaped of the rewards inside. In reality, this is a relatively expensive piece considering its size - it'll go for over $1.30 on Bricklink.

Shuttle Servicing

5842740909_8c035ed6ed_o.jpg

When the shuttle is docked, maintenance workers can work on repairing any damaged components with the tools here.

5842743473_9a33e12b5d_o.jpg

And should a fire erupt, there's a fire extinguisher right there...though it doesn't seem very safe to be right next to a burning rocket loaded with rocket fuel *huh*

Conclusion

There's always a time when we look back at our oldest LEGO sets in our collection and think about how much we've all grown as LEGO enthusiasts... :cry_happy: Alright, enough of the sappy stuff - let's delve right into the ratings!

Pieces: 9/10 - Space sets always have some of the coolest elements in them that are rare as well. Not so much a parts pack for massive quantities of a certain piece, but Mission Control contains a lot of odd accessories and elements that are just cool to have around in any LEGO collection.

Minifigures: 8/10 - LEGO released their best minifigures in the 1990s in my opinion, and these guys (and gal) are no exception! Space Port also debuted one of my favorite minifig heads, the doctor head I like to call it, so that's another plus for me.

Build: 10/10 - This is a build that has a lot to offer, and is diversified along the way. It's fun working on this in different portions, first building all the ground vehicles, the shuttle itself, and then the actual station. The separated instructions also would make this a lot of fun to work on with a group of friends or family members.

Design: 10/10 - Tons of stuff to find in every corner of this set. It's not overly saturated with detail, and the space doesn't feel too empty as well. It's just as a classic LEGO set should be.

Playability: 10/10 - Swooshing a spaceship that lights up and makes noise is far too fun to deduct anything from the playability rating :laugh: Even as a stand-alone set, there's a lot to play around with.

Price: 7/10 - Not too bad when taking the baseplate and the electrical part into account.

Overall: 9/10

LEGO certainly has taken us in unique, sometimes strange, but always fun directions with their Space-related themes. The fanbase is always wild over new and upcoming Space themes that LEGO is coming out with, but sometimes it's nice to take a look back in history at what LEGO has done in the past. Space Port wasn't 'strictly' a part of the Space umbrella theme, it was part of Town, but nevertheless it was a sweet taste of space that LEGO offered to its fanbase at the close of the last century.

Thanks for reading :classic:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Mm... This review makes me yearn for this set...

Great review when it was in the academy, and it's a great review now. I'm honored to be the one to give it the final pass.

Great job, you're truly Gold Standard.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

R8, this is one of my most favorite th reviews on a while. I love old sets, and crystal clear reviews, really tug at my heart strings.

Another epic review, and I mean that. Awesome review.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks '-R8-' for this review of an interesting set - a fusion of the shuttle and launch pad....hmm, where have I seen one of those type of things recently eh ? :laugh:

Nice selection of minifigs and some different parts...perfect for sci-fi MOC building ! :grin:

Keep on launching those rockets ! :grin:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Another great review -R8-! Truly top-notch quality. :thumbup:

On to the set, I really like this one a lot, I think it's very well designed considering the era it was released (circa '99) - the space shuttle is excellently done relative to the piece count and parts availability at that time. The other supporting elements (launch pad, control station, two mini vehicles, even the minifig line-up) really complement the space shuttle perfectly. Given the chance, I'd also pick this one over the recently-released similar space control set anytime of the day.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

As many have been saying, your review is excellent! The set is fantastic too- it's actually one of my most nostalgic models from childhood. I'm pretty sure I still have the light-n-sound brick lying around somewhere. I wish I had kept it intact - it really is a beauty! Great work. :thumbup:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Great review 'R8' This is a neat set, though not a favorite from space theme. I do like the large size of the craft and the crawler is nice too. It just has that Town Jr. design with big pieces and little complexity. Thanks for the in depth review! :classic:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Great review. I agree with you, I don't own this set or the new 3368 Space Center set but I would definitely choose this older one for sure. Part of it is the retro factor (I agree I do like the older sets quite a bit, don't have many of them but I've seen enough of it) but I also like the look of it better than the newer one.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Excellent review for an excellent set! This set has some nice pieces and some nice details too. I particularly like the light and sound piece at the back. :thumbup:

Extremely well done on the review. :classic:

~buddy~

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.