This appears to be a small WiFi device that Nintendo recently filed with the FCC, but the Alarmo also appears to be tied to a quality-of-life initiative that the company has had in the background for many, many years.
First impressions? The Alarmo looks like a fun little device aimed at (probably) kids — and die-hard Nintendo fans like us. It’s the kind of charming, intriguing, goofy toy that only Nintendo would be crazy enough to make, and we’re honestly eager to get our hands on it and see what secrets it holds. It joins a long line of quirky Nintendo peripherals (pedometers, pilates rings, cardboard boxes), though there doesn’t seem to be any real connection here to its gaming hardware.
But gosh, $100 is a pretty penny for a new Nintendo-branded alarm clock. If there was some interactivity with the Switch or amiibo, it might be easier to swallow that price pill. We wish we could scan Captain Falcon for the F-Zero theme (which would let us know we got the increase strength when we finally jumped out of bed, naturally).
We assume that new topics will emerge that will be linked to the upcoming releases. We’re thinking about the soothing Metroid Prime music that will lull us into a peaceful sleep. And Samus who wakes us up with missile explosions. Perfect.
That price though. European pricing hasn’t been announced at the time of writing, which is also a good thing — it’s entirely possible that Alarmo will break triple digits in GBP and EUR. We’ll see.
Still, if money isn’t an issue and you’re looking for a new Nintendo hardware fix, this looks like a lot of fun. A motion sensor device that tracks movements in your bed and makes sounds in rhythm with those movements—ohhhhh.
Look, maybe it’s our internet-tainted minds. Maybe it’s society’s fault! Or maybe it’s the memory of all the anatomically detailed sketches that many talented artists have posted on Miiverse, to the apparent surprise of the innocent NCL team that created the much-missed social portal on the Wii U. It seems to us, however, that it’s time -to-dodgy- there will be internet clips with this extremely short. Let’s see if we can make it by tomorrow morning. Guys, turn on safe search!
All kidding aside, there’s a perverted part of us that enjoys Nintendo trolling everyone with its innocence. The company itself has said next to nothing about the Switch’s successor — we’re fans and industry watchers who keep ourselves busy chatting, speculating, wishing, hoping. Rumors about the Switch 2 are echoing in all corners of Nintendo fans and wider gaming circles, and into this frenzy Alarmo is sent… and somehow manages to charm every disappointment with his pure level What—.
Touch, Nintendo. Contact.
A fanfare is playing and the alarm is coming to an end.
Let us know your thoughts on the Nintendo Alarm (sorry, ‘Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo’, to give it its full name) below, and expect the Nintendo hardware review you’ve all been waiting for as soon as we’re able!
