We're back for a seventh round of Hidden Gems, our popular format where each of us nominates a figure from Transformers history that we feel has been rather overlooked by the fandom at large and now deserves a little more attention. And today, the choices are more unusual than ever before.

From movie-styled Masterpiece fare to Mini-Cons and early examples of cross-brand collaborative projects, everyone brings something hugely different to the table for discussion this time. It makes for a particularly eclectic episode, spanning wildly different eras and design philosophies, united only by the sense that each figure never quite got its due when it mattered most.

The variety proves a lot of fun as we explore why these toys didn't get the focus they perhaps should have on release. And with TFNation in our near future, it might just prove enabling enough to give us some options to look out for in the dealer hall...

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Enjoying the show? There’s more than meets the ear...

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Way back at the turn of 1980, years before Transformers became a thing, Takara led the way forward for transforming robot toys with Diaclone — all about non-sentient mecha piloted by one-inch figures. The most well-known examples are from the Car Robots subline that would find new life as robots in disguise, but today we're exploring the fantastically old-school sci-fi fare of the earlier years.

Prior to churning out realistic vehicles and recognisable car models, Diaclone was all about big, over-the-top futuristic spacecraft and bases that became modular robots, all operated by a team of Dia-nauts versus their alien opposition, the evil Waruders. The concept was new, but as we'll discover, these toys have an unusual origin story themselves, harkening back to the 1970s in a tale that begins with another, lesser-known collaboration between Takara and Hasbro — ironically enough.

We trace the building blocks from those earliest years through to the toys that would eventually be repurposed as Transformers when Hasbro came back on the scene looking for inspiration. Along the way, we explore how Takara's Diaclone robots helped lay the foundations for the international mega-hit to come, and why these early designs remain so fascinating decades later.

This topic was chosen in a fan vote by the Patrons on our Discord, so we hope it was worth the wait.

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Enjoying the show? There’s more than meets the ear...

Find show notes at https://www.tripletakeover.com

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With the World Cup in full swing, sports mania is at fever pitch across the globe right now — yet Transformers tie-ins with sport have been surprisingly few and far between over the years, despite some obvious potential. Today we're looking at the various tries made so far, and the open goals that remain untapped by the toymakers.

Sixo has finally relented (against his better judgement) and allowed Liam to have the sports episode of his dreams. From Takara's Sports Label line in the mid-2000s to modern-day collaborative attempts such as the recent NFL and soccer-themed figures, there's plenty to discuss — and yes, we even manage to cram in a bit of motorsports along the way. It's a surprisingly rich vein once you start digging, spanning official partnerships, licensed tie-ins, and the occasional oddity that defies easy categorisation.

As it turns out, there's a lot to enjoy even for collectors who aren't big sports fans, with a surprising amount of creativity thrown in throughout. Whether it's clever integration of sporting motifs or oddball aesthetic swings, these releases prove there's real potential in the crossover. Can we keep Liam focused on the chat, though, or will he be simply too distracted come the final score?

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Enjoying the show? There’s more than meets the ear...

Find show notes at https://www.tripletakeover.com

Join the conversation with us on Discord

Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tripletakeover