Yesterday, Nintendo unveiled Alarmo, a new interactive alarm clock the company created. It is now exclusive for sale on the Nintendo store with a price tag of $99.99 for a limited time. During this time, only Nintendo Switch Online subscribers in the United States and Canada can purchase it. But, is it worth it?
At the end of the exclusive period in early 2025, Alarmo will be made available to the general public. It is important to mention that a USB cable is included in the box but you will have to purchase an AC adaptor separately.
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What is Alarmo and why does it cost $100, you may ask. Well, it is an expensive way of waking up to fanfare from popular Nintendo franchises instead of waking up to the jarring sound of a noisy alarm.
Alarmo looks like your regular portable cylindrical speaker, the type you take outdoors. However, it has a big white button that doubles as a dial at the top. Also located on the top are two buttons; the back button and the notification button.
At the front base of the cylinder is a 2.8-inch LCD screen that displays the time and other notifications. The screen also has a brightness sensor and motion sensor which does most of the magic.
Once it’s time to wake up, the alarm goes off and throws the user into one of 5 Nintendo game worlds. The theme song from the chosen game starts playing with an image of the game flashing on the screen.
What makes Alarmo unique?
What’s unique about Alarmo is that the sensor captures body movements and translates them to game sounds. In the announcement trailer, the movement of a lady on the bed was translated into the sound you get when you hit a coin box in Super Mario Odyssey.
According to Nintendo, you can snooze the Alarmo with gestures. Once you get out of bed, fanfare plays and the alarm automatically comes to an end. Nintendo said this eliminates the need to always reach out and stop or snooze your alarm.
Just to make sure that you get up, Alarmo will get more intense the longer you take to get out of bed. In terms of compatibility, Nintendo said it can be used with Twin to King-sized beds.
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In the FAQ section, Nintendo clearly said, “If there is more than one sleeper in the bed, we recommend using Button Mode for the best experience”.
The company also suggests that it should be placed facing the center of the bed “within arm’s reach, and no higher than 8 inches above the sleeper”.
At the moment, Alarmo users can choose alarms inspired by one of 5 Nintendo games including Super Mario Odyssey, Pikmin 4, Splatoon 3, RingFit Adventure, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Each of the games features 7 alarm varieties.
More alarms will be added when you connect Alarmo to the Internet. However, it is important to mention that you will need a Nintendo account to gain access to the online features. Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will join Alarmo soon.
Besides being an alarm clock, Alarmo has features like sleepy sounds that help users sleep. It also keeps a record of your sleep hours and movements so that you can track your sleep quality. It has an hourly chime that features different Nintendo characters signaling the top of the hour.
Alarmo is currently available for purchase at the Nintendo New York store starting on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, for £90.
But, do you think the packed features of Alarmo are worth the $100 price tag? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
