Someone managed to convert a rotary phone into a "numpad keyboard," then later turned the same rotary phone into a DOOM-controlling gamepad. Classic DOOM experiences have sat at the forefront of several interesting experiments, one of which involved a neuroscientist training rats to play DOOM 2 in virtual reality.
Interestingly, inspired fans continue to find new ways with which to run the groundbreaking shooter series. One special musical mod allows the first DOOM entry to run on a piano, for example. Even an ultrasound scanner can bring to life the chaos of id Software's seminal 1993 classic. In addition, the likes of ATMs, and graphics calculators have been used to let the Doom Slayer blast his way through the demons of Hell. And it seems as though the challenge to control DOOM with the strangest of technical devices won't soon come to an end. In fact, the latest of such projects may count among the most intriguing to date.
Last week, Reddit user g_calgary shared footage of a project wherein they used an arduino pro micro to turn a rotary phone into a functional numpad keyboard. Another Redditor suggested the same program be employed to play classic DOOM. As spotted by TheGamer, g_calgary accepted the challenge and remapped the rotary phone keys for DOOM as follows: 1 translates to ctrl, 2 is left arrow, 3 is right arrow, 4 is up arrow, 5 is down arrow, and 6 equals spacebar. G-calgary posted a demonstration on Reddit, describing the build as an "awful experience" they do not recommend to others.
The rotary phone gamepad, understandably, seems to suffer from a bit of input lag. Given the way in which the old phone is controlled, DOOM moves much slower when controlled this way, too. As such, this won't go down as the most exciting way to experience the beloved first-person shooter. That someone made it work at all still warrants applause, though.
Following a rather lengthy hiatus, DOOM returned in 2016 with a modern reboot that paid homage to the past but remained grounded in the present in terms of game design. Id Software followed the franchise's acclaimed reintroduction with the release of 2020's DOOM Eternal, which continued to receive support throughout 2021.
As far as modern platforms are concrened, the original DOOM is playable across Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox hardware.
Source: g_calgary/Reddit via TheGamer