Rewrite: Disarming the Fooling Alarmo may seem like a simple task, but my experience proved otherwise. When my 7 am alarm first went off, I thought I could easily shut it off and go back to sleep. However, my attempts to wave my hand in front of the clock’s sensors were met with the relentless sound of Nintendo’s Splatoon 3. Frustrated, I fell back asleep, thinking I had successfully disarmed the alarm.
But to my dismay, Alarmo was not like the alarm on my phone. A few minutes later, it woke me up again, this time with even louder sound effects. The screen taunted me, warning that the alarm would continue if I didn’t move. I tried waving my arm again, but the cycle repeated several times until I finally gave in and got out of bed.
Recently announced, Alarmo is the unexpected new hardware from Nintendo, priced at $100. It features themes from popular Nintendo games such as The Legend of Zelda, Pikmin, and Mario. However, I was surprised to see that it also included themes from lesser-known games like Ring Fit Adventure. As someone who has never played a Nintendo Fit game, I skipped this theme entirely.
The device itself is small and red, with a large white button and a toy-like texture. It looks out of place on my nightstand next to my more sophisticated items, but it evokes a sense of nostalgia that Nintendo seems to have mastered. As a 35-year-old with adult responsibilities, I couldn’t help but question if I really needed this alarm clock.
In a world where our phones can serve as alarms and sound machines, owning a physical alarm clock may seem like a whimsical choice. But Nintendo is not just selling a device with motion sensors and sound effects; they are selling the charm and personality of their beloved characters.
At launch, Alarmo only offers five themes, but Nintendo has promised to release more through free updates. However, this is only possible if the device is connected to the internet and a Nintendo account. As a tech journalist, I can see the appeal of Alarmo, but for the average consumer, it may be a novelty item rather than a necessity.
