March 10th is Mario Day, a time to celebrate everyone’s favorite plumber. And what better way to honor him than with a teardown of the Nintendo Alarmo clock?
Alarmo launched in late 2024 and just opened up sales to the general public this month, but it’s already become a favorite gadget in the modding and hacking community.
To dig inside this thing, we teamed up with the awesome folks at Adafruit. We took it apart to answer the question: Is it repairable, or just another disposable novelty? Meanwhile, Ladyada herself took it to the next level, answering another important question: Does it run Doom?
Why Adafruit?
At iFixit, we believe in empowering people to fix their own tech, and when it comes to the maker and modding community, Adafruit is one of the best in the business. They provide kits, components, and tutorials that help people learn electronics and build creative projects, values that align perfectly with our mission to make repair more accessible. That’s why we teamed up with them for this teardown of Nintendo’s Alarmo.
The Good: Simple and Accessible Design
Getting in was pretty straightforward. The faceplate was held in place by a single tri-point screw, which is annoying, but nothing out of the ordinary for Nintendo. Once inside, a standard JST-style connector and ribbon cable easily disconnected, separating the faceplate from the main body.
The main PCB was secured with just three Phillips screws. We were glad to see a CMOS battery labeled with its type, something we wish every electronics manufacturer did.
The Bad: Glued Components and No Official Support
One of the biggest frustrations was the LCD. Removing it required a careful approach, as it was glued down. We avoided isopropyl alcohol for fear of damaging the screen, making this step much trickier than it needed to be.
Nintendo isn’t exactly known for offering replacement parts or repair guides, even for their major consoles. Even for their major consoles with extremely common, not-too-complicated-to-fix repair issues. We’re not holding our breath for any repair support for a niche product like this. While the device itself is relatively easy to take apart, if something breaks, you’ll likely be out of luck unless the repair community steps in.
Interesting Design Choices
A standout feature was the mmWave transmitter and sensor, which allows movement-based snoozing and alarm dismissals. It was neatly positioned behind the screen, and while not directly related to repairability, it was a fun, unexpected addition.
We also found a Hall effect sensor in the top button assembly, which helps ensure longevity by reducing wear compared to traditional resistive pads. It’s a smart choice—one that we wish Nintendo used in the Switch Joy-Cons, where drift and wear are more of an issue.
Easy to Open but No Repair Ecosystem
The Alarmo’s repairability is a mixed bag. On one hand, the device was easy to open, and most components were accessible with standard tools. On the other hand, the glued-down LCD and the lack of official parts or documentation mean that if something breaks, you’re largely on your own.
If you’re looking for a fun, tinker-friendly gadget, Alarmo isn’t the worst option. And if you want to go beyond basic repairs and start modding, our friends at Adafruit have a great video on hacking this little clock. But if you expect long-term support from Nintendo, don’t hold your breath.
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