Modder brings Doom to Nintendo’s cutesy Alarmo clock

Weirdly Amusing: The number of unusual devices running Doom continues to grow. Even Nintendo’s latest product, the quirky Alarmo clock, can now play a version of id Software’s classic shooter. Best yet, there’s no need for any modifications or specialized hardware.

Just a few weeks after the Nintendo Alarmo was introduced to the public, developers have already found a way to “play” the granddaddy of modern first-person shooters on its tiny 2.8-inch LCD screen.

A talented programmer known as “GaryOderNichts,” who specializes in reverse engineering Nintendo’s discontinued Wii U console, recently announced that the Alarmo can finally show “what everyone wanted to see.” Doom can run on the game-related clock although audio support is still missing.

GaryOderNichts’s attempt to mod or tweak the Alarmo’s native features began just a few days ago when the coder studied the gadget’s internal hardware and software setup. The clock’s PCB includes an STM32H730ZBI6 MCU and a 4GB eMMC chip manufactured by Kioxia, and the system’s content was relatively easy to dump and decrypt. The programmer built on the work previously done by another coder (Spinda), who managed to dump the eMMC contents before anyone else.

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! pic.twitter.com/WimckYPnXZ

– Gary (@GaryOderNichts) November 2, 2024

Thanks to the gadget’s ability to run in USB mass storage mode when all three buttons on top are pressed, the hacker explained, the Alarmo can apparently be forced to load an arbitrary firmware image. There’s no need to open or modify the device, although the custom file to run still needs to be properly encrypted according to Nintendo’s specifications.

The programmer was initially able to display a picture of a cat on the Alarmo’s screen, and a few days later, released the eagerly awaited Alarmo Doom package. Now, every Alarmo owner can turn their new Nintendo gadget into a proper “Doom machine,” though a few limitations still apply to this next-gen gaming “experience.”

Audio support is “currently” lacking, GaryOderNichts warned, and the USB loader has specific file size restrictions that need to be bypassed. Doom’s .wad file needs to be compressed and then decompressed back to the external memory unit at boot time, though interested players will apparently be able to load and play the entire shareware version of Doom from start to finish.