Earlier this week, a Twitter user by the name of GaryOderNichts pulled off a fascinating hack, transforming Nintendo’s Alarmo alarm clock into an unlikely platform for running the shareware version of Doom. He showcased this quirky project with a video thread on Twitter, where you can see everything in action.
Gary provided some insights into how this hack works. For starters, there isn’t any sound at the moment. He also pointed out that the Doom shareware file (.wad) needs to be compressed and then decompressed upon boot-up due to USB loader memory limitations. The best part? You don’t need to modify your Alarmo. Gary has generously shared all the necessary project files on GitHub, making it accessible for any enthusiast to try out.
So, how did Gary manage this clever feat? It all began by exploring the guts of an Alarmo. Inside, you’ll find the STM32H730ZBI6 Arm Cortex-M7 processor, which is quite well-documented. This opened the door for Gary to finagle his way through the system, eventually linking it to his trusty Raspberry Pi.
Among the tweets, Gary shared a post that really captured the excitement of the moment: “After my last post, it was pretty clear what everyone wanted to see on the Alarmo. So, here it is – Doom running on the Nintendo Alarmo!”
Despite needing some initial soldering and tweaking to get everything up and running, Gary’s project on GitHub is simplified enough to not require such modifications. In terms of gameplay, the Doom experience on the Alarmo creatively utilizes the device’s top-side controls: two buttons and a swipable touch dial. The dial allows for aiming, while shooting is handled with a quick tap of the notification button on the lower right part of the device. Some controls were left either unknown or underused in the demonstration video, which featured a run through an early level of Doom.
Nintendo’s $99 Alarmo might seem like a curious choice for running a game like Doom, but it’s not the first unexpected piece of tech to host the legendary shooter. Doom has also been played on diverse devices, including a smart lawnmower, the Raspberry Pi Pico RP2350 microcontroller, and even a revamped air hockey table. Notably, someone even powered up an old Commodore 64 with an expansion card to bring Doom to life.
For more witty hacks and gaming marvels like this, keep your eyes peeled and your curiosity endless.
