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Pararena

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Title Screen

Pararena

Developer: john calhoun
Platform: Mac OS Classic
Released internationally: 1990


DevMessageIcon.png This game has a hidden developer message.
GraphicsIcon.png This game has unused graphics.
Carts.png This game has revisional differences.


Take equal parts skateboarding, basketball, and sumo wrestling, stir in a pinch of Rollerball, and serve in a parabolic dish.

Unused Sprites

Versions 1.2 and up contain graphics for some features that were never implemented.

Sportscasters

Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Sportscasters.gif

A pair of commentators whose mouths are never closed at the same time. It's unknown how their three frames of animation would have been used, but they work well cycled back and forth.

Crouching Opponent

Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Opponent Crouch.png

As of v1.2, the player character visibly squats to pick up the ball while the mouse button is held down. There are unused corresponding sprites for the computer-controlled character, who also crouches but without it being visually indicated.

Victory(?) Pose

Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Flex.png

Your avatar flexing its muscles. There's no equivalent art for the opponent.

Hidden Text

The sprite sheet in v1.1 contains an odd message: "If you can see this, please ignore. I haven't figured out how to get rid of it." Later versions have a pair of copyright tags in its place.

v1.1 v1.2/1.3
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Corner 1.1.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Corner 1.2.png

While this may have been load-bearing text at some point in development, none of the available versions behave differently if the messages are replaced with black space.

Revisional Differences

Version 1.0 was released sometime in 1990, but is presently lost. The extant versions are:

v1.1 26 August 1990 (build date in owner resource)
v1.2 31 October 1990 (build date in owner resource)
v1.2.1 1 January 1991 (build date in owner resource)
v1.3 21 May 1991 (Usenet announcement)

There are no significant changes in v1.2.1. It may have been released just to supplant v1.2, some copies of which had a corrupt DITL resource (although no such copy is known to survive).

Shareware System

After registering the game, it will periodically lock up a subset of its features until your password is re-entered. In v1.1, this happens every 20 launches. It was extended to 25 launches in v1.2 and 30 launches in v1.3. (The game is now freeware, and john has made the password pararena and key 97003 publicly available.)

Graphics

Finder Icon

The game's version number was hidden in the mask of its icon, becoming visible only when highlighted or placed on a non-white background.

v1.1 v1.2 v1.3
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Icon 1.1.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Icon 1.2.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Icon 1.3.png

Version 1.3 also introduced a 16×16 icon, consisting of just the ball, for small icon views.

Splash Screen

Versions 1.2 and up supplement the faerie engraving with a collage of john calhoun's MacPaint art.

v1.1 v1.2/1.3
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Soft Dorothy 1.1.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Soft Dorothy 1.2.png

Character Portraits

While the gameplay remained black and white, v1.3 added touches of grayscale and color to the interface, such as these opponent icons.

George
(v1.1/1.2)
George
(v1.3)
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - George 1.1.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - George 1.3.png
Mara
(1.1, 1.2)
Mara
(1.3)
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Mara 1.1.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Mara 1.3.png
Claire
(1.1, 1.2)
Claire
(1.3)
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Claire 1.1.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Claire 1.3.png
Otto
(1.1)
Otto
(1.2)
Otto
(1.3)
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Otto 1.1.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Otto 1.2.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Otto 1.3.png

Also, Otto removed his helmet, and became black.

Arena

Version 1.2 hid the menubar, allowing the scenery to expand upward by 20 pixels. It also added tiles that flash in sequence, from the center out, when that side catches the ball.

v1.1 v1.2/1.3
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Arena 1.1.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Arena 1.2.png

Meanwhile, the goal indicators displayed at the beginning became speech balloons.

v1.1
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Goals 1.1.png
v1.2/1.3
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Goals 1.2.png

Version 1.3 introduced a beacon that stays lit over the goal while that side has possession:

Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Possession.png

Stars

In v1.1, the stars twinkle on the title screen but not during gameplay. In v1.2 they never twinkle, and in v1.3 they always twinkle.

Skaters

The athletes acquire white outlines in v1.2.

v1.1 v1.2/1.3
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Players 1.1.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Players 1.2.png

Ball

As well as a white outline, v1.2 gives the ball a transparent patch in place of a highlight.

v1.1 v1.2 v1.3
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Ball 1.1.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Ball 1.2.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Ball 1.3.png

This sort of makes it look like the ball is rolling, until your eye catches on to the illusion and it just looks like it has a hole in it. The highlight was restored in v1.3.

The upper-case Chicago lettering on the pennant received the retrofuturist angled mid-strokes of the Star Trek logo.

v1.1 v1.2/1.3
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Banner 1.1.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Banner 1.2.png

Spaceship

The sprite mask for the spaceborne bubble car (which is totally not a reference to The Jetsons) omitted a puff of black exhaust, making it invisible:

v1.1 (unmasked) v1.1 (masked)
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Ship 1.1 Unmasked.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Ship 1.1 Masked.png

Version 1.2 added a visible puff of white exhaust, and also made the canopy more reflective.

v1.1 (masked) v1.2 (masked)
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Ship 1.1 Masked.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Ship 1.2 Masked.png

About

Version 1.2 retouched the skater in the about box.

v1.1
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - About 1.1.png
v1.2
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - About 1.2.png

Sounds

The only sound that wasn't replaced at some point is the briefest: someone dropping the ball.

Version 1.1 had separate sounds for Earth and Taygete scoring; the Earth sound was also used to begin each period. Later versions used the same crowd noise for every situation.

Start of period/Earth scores (v1.1)
Taygete scores (v1.1)
Crowd noise (v1.2/1.3)

The final revision uses separate sounds for incoming and outgoing teleportation.

Beam in or out (1.1, 1.2)
Beam in (v1.3)
Beam out (v1.3)
Ball launcher firing (1.1, 1.2)
Ball launcher firing (v1.3)

Versions 1.2 and up have a unique sound for each character catching the ball:

Anyone catches ball (v1.1)
Player catches ball (1.2, 1.3)
George catches ball (1.2, 1.3)
Mara catches ball (1.2, 1.3)
Claire catches ball (1.2, 1.3)
Otto catches ball (1.2, 1.3)
Player and opponent collide (1.1)
Player and opponent collide (1.2)
Player and opponent collide (1.3)
Collision involving ball or goal wall (1.1, 1.2)
Collision involving ball or goal wall (1.3)
Warning for holding (1.1)
Warning for holding (1.2, 1.3)
Foul (1.1)
Foul (1.2, 1.3)

The announcer first appeared in v1.2.

Announcer (1.2)
Announcer (1.3)

Key Commands

Some of the shortcut keys changed between versions:

1.1 1.2 1.3
Pause ⌘P Caps Lock Tab
End Game ⌘E E ⌘E

Screen Redraw

To counter interference from screensavers and background applications, v1.1 introduced a screen refresh feature: Press R to redraw the background.

A key that flushes the screen, used in debugging this, was left in "because it's sort of fun to watch". Press F to erase the background, which will be filled in as sprites pass over it.

These functions are gone in v1.2 and up, which simply ignore background processes.

Name Entry

This dialog was completely redesigned:

1.1, 1.2 1.3
Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Enter Name 1.1.png Pararena (Mac OS Classic) - Enter Name 1.3.png

Help

Every section of the instructions was rewritten in v1.3.

Game
1.1, 1.2 1.3
The sport, Pararena, has traditionally been THE competitive sport between the athletes of Earth and the central commerce colony of Taygete in the Pleian cluster. The sport is played one-on-one between two players balancing on Grav-Boards®. The players skate around the arena attempting to take control of a large ball and deposit it into their goal. Several versions of this sport exist, but they differ solely in scoring and timing. Okay, there's no denying it, Pararena is a sport as far from Olympics status as wrestling. But try to tell the miners on Taygete and deep space traders from Earth that. It's one-on-one arena action with opponents pitted against one another on Grav-Boards™ fighting for control of a single ball so that they can deposit it in their goal. Although variations in scoring and timing exist for different versions of the game, its basically the same rough-and-freefall game.
Points
1.1, 1.2 1.3
A point is registered when the ball passes into one of the goals. It does not matter which player actually sent the ball in. A point is also registered for a player when her/his opponent receives her/his fourth foul. There are 2 ways to score - either a ball enters a goal or the opponent gets 4 fouls. Balls can be kicked or thrown in and it doesn't matter who caused it - if the ball enters player A's goal, player A gets a point. 'Nough said.
Fouls
1.1, 1.2 1.3
When the ball leaves the arena, the player who was last in contact with the ball receives the foul. A player also receives a foul if they hold the ball for an extended period of time. You will hear a "holding" warning informing you that you have only a few seconds left before receiving a foul. After four fouls, a players fouls return to zero. At the end of a period (in some games) fouls return to zero. You do NOT recieve a foul for knocking your opponent out of the arena! Simple- when a ball leaves the arena, the player who last touched the ball or who is currently holding the ball gets a foul. There is no penalty for knocking an opponent out of the arena! Scoring a goal resets your fouls to zero. Four fouls lands the opponent a point.
Transporter
1.1, 1.2 1.3
When a player leaves the arena, he/she is dematerialized with the transporter. The transporter is carefully timed and regulated so that neither player has any advantage over the other. There is a delay before re-materialization. The timer (used in some games) never halts during a period, so players are encouraged to remain in the arena at all times. Leave the arena and you dematerialize. The transporter will re-materialize you in the center of the arena after a precisely measured amount of time has elapsed (a second or two). The timer is not stopped in variations of Pararena that use timed periods.
Versions
1.1, 1.2 1.3
Four of Five - This version is composed of four periods of five minutes in length. The player with the high score at the end of the fourth period wins. Fouls count in the event of a point tie.
Four of Nine - This variation is played just like the above, but the periods are nine minutes long.
First to Thirteen - The timer is not used, the first player to attain thirteen points wins.
Delta Five - No timer, the game ends when one score exceeds the other by five points.
Four of Five - 4 timed periods of 5 minutes each, tie - least fouls wins. Four of Nine - like the first but 4 periods of 9 minutes. First to Thirteen - no timer, player to 13 points first wins. Delta Five - no timer, player to exceed the other's score by 5 points wins.
Control
1.1, 1.2 1.3
With the mouse you cause your player (in black) to lean in one of eight directions, or to relax (centered). With the cursor visible, this will become clear - however, you may find that the cursor is distracting to leave visible all the time. The mouse button allows your player to pick up and drop the ball. This is a little tricky to learn. If you do not have the ball, hold down the button and collide with ball - you will pick it up. Release the mouse button. Now, with the ball, clicking will cause your player to release the ball. Hold down to grab ball - let up - then click to release ball. With the mouse you cause your player (in black) to lean in 1 of 8 directions or to relax (centered). Collide with the ball to catch it. If you have set Auto Pick-Up in the menu then you don't need to use the mouse button to pick up the ball. In both cases though the button is used to release the ball. Use the TAB key to pause and unpause a game in progress. ⌘-Q will always Quit Pararena while ⌘-E will only stop the game you are playing.
Goals
1.1, 1.2 1.3
There are several ways to get a goal. It is possible to kick the ball in (collide with the ball without picking it up), but this happens more often by mistake than intentionally. You can also, with the ball, circle the arena and try a hook shot. This is a great way to elude your opponent, but is a difficult shot to make. The easiest shot is the slam dunk. With the ball, race back and forth diagonally in line with your goal and release the ball when you physically collide with the goal. Kicking the ball into your goal is possible but an unlikely way to score. Running toward and away from your goal in a line and releasing the ball on the approach is a better way to score. Best is to release the ball when you collide with your goal on approach (slam dunk). As your opponent will try to block your shot, circling the arena for a hook shot is a skill worth trying to hone. Good luck!
Tips
1.1, 1.2 1.3
Use fouls to your advantage. If your opponent gets the ball, try to knock her/him out of the arena while she/he is still holding the ball. If your opponent gets four fouls, you get a point. Take less chances when you have two or three fouls. If you can get a goal, your fouls are cleared (reset to zero). Some of your opponents (namely Heavy Otto) have twice the mass that you do. Collide carefully with these opponents. They will knock you out of the arena without even trying. Remember that you will get a foul for holding the ball too long - so will your opponent. Use this to your advantage. Keep her/him from getting a good shot until she/he is forced to drop the ball. Try to get good at knocking your opponent out of the arena. Each time they go out with the ball it's a foul and 4 fouls is a point for you. When you have 3 fouls be careful! Go for the conservative shot. A goal will zero out your fouls. Heavy Otto? Don't collide with him - period. If he has the ball, let him have it. He's a lot bigger than you. Just as you foul for holding the ball too long, so does your opponent - stall him or her!
Lastly
1.1, 1.2 1.3
Lastly, I would just like to say, this is a very difficult game to play. I think the problem is getting used to the way the mouse button works, and mastering diagonal movement. Nonetheless, I hope you find the game enjoyable. Have fun! Put simply, this is a HARD game. Probably not for those new to the mouse. If you work at it, you get the feel for the game and can even beat Otto. Nonetheless, you may not have the patience - so toss the game or give it to a friend. So have fun and try not to get too frustrated.

Other Changes

Version 1.1

  • Changes in v1.1 were "primarily cosmetic", such as centering the window on large screens and lining the high scores into columns.
  • You can now clear the high scores by bringing them up and clicking the upper-leftmost pixel of the starfield background. (In subsequent versions this pixel may be underneath the menubar, but is still clickable.)

Version 1.2

  • An auto-pickup option was added so you don't have to use the mouse button to catch the ball.
  • The "visible cursor" option was moved from the Physics dialog to the Options menu, leaving it available in the locked/unregistered version.
  • The timer now stops while the game is paused.
  • Claire more aggressively blocks a player who has the ball.
  • The game no longer freeze-frames for goals, but still does for fouls.

Version 1.3

  • Now there's no freeze-frame for fouls, either.
  • The default game type has changed from Four of Five to Delta Five.
  • Press ⌘Q to quit in mid-game, after a confirmation prompt.