Earlier this week, Twitter user GaryOderNichts pulled off an interesting technical feat by transforming Nintendo’s Alarmo alarm clock to run the shareware version of Doom. Gary shared the outcome of his project in a Twitter thread, even posting a video showcasing the complete gameplay.
In the thread, Gary explains some of the technical challenges faced during the process, including the current lack of audio support. To make Doom work on the alarm clock, he had to compress the Doom shareware .wad file before uploading it, then decompress it directly into the device’s memory upon boot. This clever workaround bypasses the limitations of the USB loader’s memory size. Interestingly, Gary points out that those interested in replicating this hack won’t need to physically modify their Alarmo. All necessary files and instructions are conveniently available on GitHub.
So, how was this ingenious hack achieved? Gary elaborates on the process in a detailed blog post, where he describes dismantling the Alarmo to explore the hardware inside. The device features an STM32H730ZBI6 ARM Cortex-M7 processor, which is well-documented and proved instrumental in helping Gary effectively modify the Alarmo. By connecting it to his trusty Raspberry Pi, he was able to progress with his experiment.
Initially, Gary had to resort to some soldering and modding to get things started. However, the final setup, which is shared on GitHub, is notably simplified. It’s designed so that anyone with a regular Alarmo can launch Doom straight from a USB, making it accessible to more tech enthusiasts.
Controlling Doom on the Alarmo is quite a novel experience. The gameplay revolves around using the touch controls on the device—two buttons and a versatile touch dial that can be swiped or pressed. In this setup, swiping allows you to aim your weapon, while the notification button on the lower right acts as the trigger for firing. Some of the other controls either remain undocumented or weren’t necessary for Gary’s video run-through, where he breezes through one of Doom’s early levels.
Despite the novelty of running Doom on a $99 alarm clock, Nintendo’s Alarmo isn’t the only unexpected platform to host the iconic game over the years. Enthusiasts have also demonstrated Doom running on an array of unlikely devices, including a smart lawnmower, a Raspberry Pi Pico RP2350 microcontroller, and even an air hockey table. There’s even been an inventive expansion card made for the old Commodore 64, just to give it enough power to handle Doom.
To stay updated with the latest tech news and in-depth reviews, don’t forget to subscribe to updates from Tom’s Hardware.
