These days, it’s possible to get id Software’s all-time classic Doom to run on virtually any mundane, everyday electronic device with an LED display. From running it on a Texas Instrument calculator to crank-powered handheld consoles and ATMs, one programmer seems to have taken it to a new extreme by getting the game to run on – of all things – an electronic pregnancy test kit.
The programmer in question goes by the name of Foone Turing (@Foone) and just so we’re absolutely clear, Foone’s attempts were not without its own set of trials and tribulations. In an effort to also be fair, Foone had pretty much gutted the entire pregnancy kit before ultimately getting the test kit to properly run Doom.
Foone’s project kicked off with simple goals, such as getting the test kit to play Rick Astley videos and a clip from Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. From there, Foone decided to take it up a notch and that’s when he decided to try and get Doom running, and that’s when things started getting difficult.
Yesterday I had a lot of retweets and reddit posts and such for playing Doom on a pregnancy test.
But as I explained then, it wasn't really PLAYING on a pregnancy test, it was just a video being played back, not an interactive game.Well, now it is. It's Pregnancy Test Doom! pic.twitter.com/Nrjyq07EVv
— foone (@Foone) September 7, 2020
As mentioned earlier, Foone resorted to some rather radical measures in order to achieve his dream; this meant replacing the device’s CPU, and switching out the default LCD screen for an OLED display. Ultimately, Foone reached his goal and his dream of being able to run Doom in all of its 128 x 32 pixels glory was finally a reality.
Naturally, Foone’s tinker-happy project was merely a hobbyist’s achievement. On that note, if you want to see more of this sort of stuff, you can always follow the man via his official Twitter account, and maybe toss him a ringgit or two to help fund his quirky projects.
