The Alarmo is a bright and colourful little gadget that typifies what we love about Nintendo; It’s weird, wonderful and arrived out of the blue. It’s going to have fans who are going to absolutely love it. However, its steep price and less-than-ideal functionality when sharing a bedroom mean it’s also a confused product made for a specific target audience that’s either very small or doesn’t exist. Plus, the limited sound-function personalisation is a bummer. So, it’s probably going to be remembered as a good little product that very few ever got to use. 

So, I remember seeing the out-of-the-blue Alarmo announcement trailer like 8 months ago, and being intrigued. It looked quirky and charming (and very Nintendo)… but I kinda expected we’d never get here in SA. And so when the Local Distributor reached asking if I’d like to give a test I was really excited. And on that fresh Friday morning, as that message came through saying it had arrived, I remember I couldn’t wait to get home and get it set up. And now it’s been 2 weeks with it at my bedside – I have some thoughts. And like a lot of Nintendo’s slightly offbeat creations, it’s a little all over the place, and probably not going to be replacing your regular alarm, but as a Nintendo fan, it’s exactly the kind of thing I love about them … and here’s why…

Look and Feel

So, let’s start off with getting it out of the box, the general look and feel and the set-up. So, here, I pretty much only have good things to say. It looks and feels like a fun but premium product – there’s a funky white light-up dial, and two other buttons (for Notifications and Returning to a previous screen) that are squishy and fun to press. There’s also a little 2.8” LCD screen that looks great and perfect for purpose. The Alarmo also includes brightness, motion sensors and a small but appropriate speaker at the back. There’s a small USB-C slot and the cable is provided (but the AC Adaptor is not – and that sucks because there’s no battery so you are going to need a always connected plug).

There’s no battery (and no AC adapter provided) so you are going to need to find a plug.

To start it up, I connected to the wifi, logged into my account using a smart device and downloaded the new themes. It was pretty smooth, and I got through the actual setup within 10 minutes. And then things got a little funky… But before I tell you why (because that’s more about general life logistics) – let me first tell you why the Nintendo fan in me absolutely loved this little thing…

The Fun Starts – Super Sounds

So, after setting an alarm, you start by choosing a theme from several options (current themes include Splatton 3, the OG Super Mario Bros., Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Ring Fit Adventure, Pikmin 4, Super Mario Odyssey and Animal Crossing). You can also select Random to shuffle through all of them. Once a theme is selected, you then choose the alarm mode. This starts with Firm Mode, which is basically the equivalent of an insistent screaming house mother (the alarm won’t stop and keeps getting louder until you get up). On the other side of things, is Gentle Mode, a way more chilled – “hey friend this is your wake up call – but you know take your time”-type alarm. The main display will display the time in the selected theme, and when it rings, it won’t just make a sound but will also show off an animated scene or character that reacts to your movements. It’s downright adorable. The selection is great (although I can’t wait for them to keep adding more), and the animations on the screen all look incredible.

The theme selection, sounds and animations are downright adorable.

There are also options to set up hourly chimes (in the hours you stipulate). At first I thought I’d hate being reminded of the unending passage of time, but you can adjust how loud it is, and in our home, we’ve loved just about hearing 5 coins, 3 popping Pikmin or 6 AC bells telling us that it’s almost time for supper. And if you’re into white noise or some chilled music to help you drift off to sleep, whatever theme you pick will also include the option of Sleepy Sounds to run for a specific amount of time once it’s figured out that you’re in bed and not moving around too much… I loved this as a nice alternative to drifting off to football or gaming podcasts, and it did allow me to put down my phone a little earlier than I normally would – and that can only be a good thing, sleep-hygiene-wise. It’s also supposed to track your sleep a little bit too (which is cool), but also brings us back around to why Alarmo doesn’t make all that much sense sometimes.

Table for… One?

So, let’s get back to the set-up – you’ll remember I connected to the wifi and ran through the initial steps smoothly. However, the final part of the set-up is physically getting the Alarmo in your room (usually getting the device next to you on a bedside table). This helps it figure out where the movement sensors should be looking during the night. The instructions are nice and clear – and the again it’s all pretty painless. Plus, when working well – it will even pick up your waves to trigger Snooze (for example). So you basically become a Nintendo Jedi. Amazing! However, it’s mentioned but not really well-advertised that this is functionality really only meant for someone who sleeps alone.

It definitely loses some of its magic if you share a bed.

You see, the sensors pick up when anyone gets into bed (no matter what side of the bed they get into), and after you’ve settled down for a while, the sleepy sounds will begin. Now, don’t get me wrong, I suppose technically, it might be quite tough to somehow get the sensors to only react to one side of your bed. However, if in your family you and your partner don’t always get into bed at the same time, this means the Alarmo won’t automatically do what you want it to. It’ll get confused between you and the person next to you. The sleepy sounds and sleep tracking will be out of whack, and that’s a pity. Nintendo does suggest using the button mode – which manually triggers these things, but you definitely lose some of the magic that way.

Alarmo is for… someone?

And there’s the main contradiction. The Alarmo is made for fans. And considering the themes (like old-school Super Mario Bros.) and the price tag (over R2000), they know that some are going to be older fans. However, older fans tend to share their bed. And then it doesn’t work as well. And even if they are just targeting younger kids, at the price tag, it’s hard to see how many parents would be getting this for their kids (especially if they have more than one). So, then again you’re targeting people with more disposable income, and those tend to be connected to other humans, so… a challenge. Confusing.

All sounds are connected to the theme – and MK8D lobby music is just not a ‘sleepy sound’ for me.

And that brings us to my final small concern. I love Nintendo games – I’ve played all the games that have themes, and so I like to select Random for the different sounds. However, what I quickly noticed is that some work better for specific functions than others do. For example, having Zelda breathlessly beseech Link to open his eyes was perfect for a wake-up alarm. Alternatively, hearing Ring Fit Adventure, which sounds like an energetic fitness instructor, provides intensity to get us going in the morning. But conversely, trying to fall asleep to Mario Kart’s Sleep Sound – which is the online lobby jingle – had the opposite effect on me. And either I couldn’t figure it out, or there was no real way of selecting specific game sounds for specific functions – either you play roulette with the Random option, or you choose a theme and then all sounds fall under that theme. Some will be good, some not. So, I think a few more configuration options would be awesome.

Keep or Snooze?

So, all in all, did I like the Alarmo? Yes, I kinda loved it. But I am a fan, and as I received for the review – I didn’t have to pay for it. And even then, getting it to work in a shared bedroom and getting the exact sounds that work for you to play at the right times is tricky and sometimes impossible. And with all that in mind it’s a little more difficult to recommend. I mean, who is Alarmo actually for?

Definitely for fans – or maybe a very specific type of fan.

Well, ideally – big Nintendo Fans, who are single, and have some disposable income. And if that’s you, then you’re gonna love it. If not, this might be a little like that huge Lego set you really want to get but know you are going to have to really convince your significant other that it’s gonna look great in the lounge (or in this case bedroom), and I suspect that’s a conversation angle you’re not always going to win.

ALARMO PROVIDED BY NINTENDO FOR REVIEW

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