Nintendo’s Alarmo Review A Cute Cozy Yet Basic Alarm Clock

Nintendo’s Alarmo Review: A Cute, Cozy Yet Basic Alarm Clock

As someone who has always had a tumultuous relationship with alarm clocks, I was intrigued by Nintendo’s surprise reveal of Alarmo. What if getting up in the morning could be a little more playful? Maybe what I really needed all along was Princess Zelda’s soothing voice or the chirps of tiny pikmin to ease me into consciousness in the morning.

A Cute but Basic Alarm Clock

After a week with Alarmo, I have to admit that it hasn’t changed much about my sleep patterns. It has some clever ideas, and it looks great on a shelf, but ultimately, it’s still an alarm clock. However, it’s a cute alarm clock with a 2.8-inch rectangular LCD display and a big ol’ bezel that makes it almost seem circular. You can pick one of five different games to customize how the clockface looks and sounds, so that Link or Captain Olimar can walk around the screen.

Nintendo-ized Alarm Features

Alarmo has a number of Nintendo-ized alarm features, including 35 video game “scenes” to wake up to. Each scene starts out relatively chill and will get progressively more intense the longer you stay in bed. The top button will even start flashing colors to get your attention. Alarmo lets you customize the alarm schedule by day of the week, and it tracks your daily sleep times along with how long it takes you to actually wake up after your alarm goes off each day.

A Fun but Flawed Experience

While Alarmo is a fun and charming alarm clock, it has some flaws. The motion sensor can’t distinguish between multiple people, so if you share a bed, the alarm won’t shut off. Additionally, the soothing sounds only play for less than 10 minutes before going silent, making it less useful for those who need white noise to fall asleep. Overall, Alarmo is a cute but basic alarm clock that is best suited for fans of Nintendo who want a charming addition to their bedroom.