In an effort to take control of every part of your home, Nintendo has released Alarmo, a video game-themed alarm clock with cool motion-activated features. It's a cute-looking device that doesn't offer a lot of extra features, but it also has some useful options for kids and adults.
After using Alarmo for the past few weeks, there's no denying that Nintendo has injected a little fun into the wake-up routine. That means gamifying it in some way. Nintendo fans will certainly find things to like about this product, and future Alarmo updates will further expand the alarm clock's appeal, but the $99 price tag is steep.
The Alarmo itself has a square screen built into a round clock face, a large button at the top with RGB lighting that can be rotated for menu navigation, two menu buttons on the sides of the buttons, a back button and a message button. It's a bit disappointing that the screen doesn't fill the entire clock face, but it's not noticeable when looking at the clock in the dark or early morning hours.
Currently the clock font and a few other elements can be themed: mario, The Legend of Zelda, splatoon, Pikminand ring fit adventure. This ties in with the alarm element of Alarmo, but like the clock, the device has a definite Nintendo aesthetic.
Alarmo creates games that wake you up
When it comes to Alarmo's alarms, this is where this device really sets itself apart. Set a wake-up time and Alarmo will trigger an alarm with a themed scene at that time. You can set a theme from one of the previously mentioned properties (along with several options within each theme), which will then “start” the scene with the version that sounds the alarm.
When an alarm sounds, Alarmo begins increasing the volume of music or sound effects for that scene, and the translucent buttons glow in different colors. Alarmo makes interactivity possible by using motion sensors to register movement and allow on-screen characters to interact with the scene. For example, Mario can hit a coin block several times while tossing and turning while trying to get out of bed. Finally, when Alarmo registers that it is out of motion detection, the completion sequence is played and the alarm goes off.
Motion-controlled alarms aren't new, but Nintendo's implementation of Alarmo is clever. For children, it can make the waking-up process more fun and motivate them to get out of bed. And for those wondering, Alarmo has a setting that turns the alarm back on if you go back to sleep within an hour of waking up. So you can't just get out of bed, turn it off, and go right back to sleep.
Alarmo has a standard alarm clock option that causes the device to sound at a predetermined time and turn off when you press the top button. That would make Alarmo just a $100 alarm clock. However, some may prefer a standard wake-up procedure with a Nintendo theme.
Nintendo Alarmo Features and Settings
Setting up Alarmo is really simple and navigating the menus is easy. Turning the button at the top of Alarmo cycles through various options, including choosing a wake-up time and choosing a theme of your choice. To ensure that motion-controlled wake is working correctly, you'll need to position the Alarmo on your nightstand, but ideally toward the center of the bed. In testing with my family, we had no issues registering the Alarmo's movements or finally getting out of bed. But obviously the real selling point is the gamification of the waking up process, and my son loves having Alarmo in his room. He randomizes the themes so each morning has a different scene, which adds a little fun to the mornings and something to talk about each day.
Another cool thing about Alarmo is that it keeps a record of your sleep and shows you how long you were “asleep” and when you were more active. It's not entirely accurate since it only registers when you're in bed, but it's a nice bonus for anyone who likes to track their sleep. Or maybe you're tech-savvy and want to play Doom on Alarmo.
Themes are limited to launch, but Alarmo will receive regular updates via Wi-Fi, and Nintendo has promised that more IPs will be included in the selection over time. It'll be nice to see what Nintendo adds, so it might be worth waiting to see what the results are. As mentioned, each IP has multiple scenes, but this is something to keep in mind if you're a fan of the IP and not just one of the five.
Another thing parents should keep in mind is that while Nintendo-themed alarms may seem child-focused, it could be argued that children don't need alarms. My child wakes up at the same time almost every day without an alarm. And on days when I'd rather sleep in, I don't want to be woken up early by an alarm.
It's really the $99 price tag that makes the Alarmo feel more like a novelty, fan-driven purchase than anything else. The motion-controlled wake feature is great, but many of the device's selling point features come with caveats. But if I were a kid, the thought of waking up to Link's “Hiya” would be hard to get past, and I don't blame Nintendo fans for choosing Alarmo.
Nintendo Alarm Mode is available now. One unit was provided to Game Rant for the purpose of this review.
