Triple Takeover Toycast

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...
Find show notes at https://www.tripletakeover.com
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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
Join the conversation with us on Discord
Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tripletakeover

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

Between Hasbro and TakaraTomy, there has been a significant volume of new Transformers product of late — so much so that many collectors are forced to pick and choose through practicality if nothing else. Between mainline Generations, Studio Series, MPG, Missing Link, reissues, Collaborative releases, and much more, it's a great time to be a fan. But what has tickled our fancy more than anything else in the first six months of 2026?
Today, we're taking turns to choose one toy — all of which were very definitely released this year! — that we each feel represents the pick of the crop to date, and perhaps best showcases where our own specific collecting tastes currently sit. With three very different selections on the table, it makes for an intriguing snapshot of both the year's output and our individual priorities as collectors.
It prompts plenty of chat about expense versus affordability, particularly given the extreme price tag of one example. However, from premium high-end pieces to more accessible mainline fare, our choices reflect the sheer breadth of what's available right now, and the difficult decisions every collector faces when budgets don't stretch to everything.
One thing's for sure: the year may only be half done, but there's been plenty going on.
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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

Imagine a world where Transformers Armada never happened and the brand had gone a completely separate route. Back in the early 2000s, that was almost the case. After the smash success of Beast Wars and the hugely divisive follow-up that was Beast Machines, Hasbro originally planned a third era — one that would build on the existing direction and pave further towards fusing the technological and organic themes prevalent at the time. This was the series that never came to be. This was Transtech.
Although never fully realised and ultimately abandoned well before fruition, plenty of details about Transtech have since emerged over the years, including a plethora of concept art and character designs, as well as prototypes for several of the toys. It all paints a wildly distinct picture to where Transformers went instead, with Hasbro changing gears to port over Robots in Disguise 2001 before performing a seismic line-wide reboot with Armada. Yet it's fascinating to now sit and pore through what might have been, particularly given how incredibly creative so many of the Transtech ideas prove to be upon further examination.
Featuring a mix of classic and Beast era characters, intricate gimmicks, non-humanoid designs, and vehicle modes unlike anything you've seen elsewhere, this is a window onto the road not travelled at the turn of the century. Had it been taken, Transtech would have sent Transformers on a very different journey for the years that followed — and here we explore exactly what that might have looked like.
Patrons can get access to all the artwork and photos discussed in this episode via our Discord here (accessible for just £1 per month): https://discord.com/channels/974758218381287445/1511701662958616777
This episode began life as a Patreon commission by Tarngaryan — thanks for the brilliant suggestion!
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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