Can Nintendo’s Alarmo Run Doom? Absolutely!

New Possibilities with the USB Hack: Doom is Just the Beginning

What could a John Deere tractor, Ikea's smart lighting, LEGO pieces, and Apple's MacBook Pro Touch Bar possibly share? The ability to play Doom, and unsurprisingly, Nintendo’s charming Alarmo clock has joined the list. It was inevitable for this to happen, but it came as a surprise that it is indeed usable.

This feat was accomplished by hacker GaryOberNicht, who showcased how to install a custom firmware on the Alarmo in a video shared on Mastodon and X. The gameplay involves rotating or pressing the mushroom-like feature on the clock for movement, while other buttons are used for shooting and opening doors. You can see the action here:

Gary confirmed that it’s achievable to load the shareware version of Doom onto the clock entirely via USB, without any alterations to the Alarmo itself. They have shared the necessary software and guidelines for running Doom, allowing virtually any determined Alarmo enthusiast to attempt this, all without disassembling the clock.

Behind the Scenes: Accomplishing This Hack

How was this breakthrough achieved? Gary explained in a detailed post that the journey began when another individual, Spinda, managed to decrypt and extract the device's firmware. From there, Gary devised a method using a USB mode, leveraging the USB-C port to guide the Alarmo towards custom external firmware instead.

What’s Next for Alarmo Hackers?

Given the simplicity of replicating Gary's hack, it's likely that modding the Alarmo’s software won’t conclude with Doom. The extent of transforming the Alarmo into an unconventional gaming device will potentially be influenced by Nintendo’s stance, considering their recent assertive legal actions concerning their intellectual property.