Pararena

Pararena is a 1990 mouse-driven sports game by John Calhoun, published through his Soft Dorothy Software label. Two players race hoverboards inside a parabolic arena, jousting for a ball they must hurl into the goals at either end. It is a Calhoun original, not a Bungie title despite frequent misattribution.

Hoverboards in a Bowl

The arena curves upward on both sides, so players can ride the walls to gain altitude and angle. Goals sit on opposite flanks, and scoring means launching the ball through one while resisting the same from your opponent.

Match Variants

Several game types ship with different victory conditions, letting matches play out as straight scoring contests or as elimination bouts. Knocked-out players respawn back into the arena, keeping the action continuous.

Soft Dorothy Pedigree

Calhoun would later be best known for Glider, but Pararena shows the same Soft Dorothy fingerprint: tight mouse control, a single mechanical idea pushed hard, and a Mac-native presentation built around black-and-white pixel art.