Freeverse has created an addictive little game of 50 levels, which some might call a meager number until they actually start getting deeper into it. Featuring visuals quite a bit different than any other title in Freeverse's catalog, by about level 5, the player is both immersed in the look and a bit crazed by it. Against a gridded background, the vibrantly-hued outlines of the player's ship, its swarms of enemies, and all the corresponding particle effects become quite a mesmerizing display. Even once you've managed to step away from the game, you'll keep seeing the action behind your eyelids in a hypnogogic dance of frenetic lines and expanding explosions.

Basic gameplay centers around maneuvering your ship around the playing field, whose dimensions change with each successive level, corralled by unpassable walls off of which your standard shots can bounce. This will come in handy when fleeing enemies, as you can fire shots against an upcoming wall, have them pass through your ship, and strike your opponents as they pursue you. Additionally, there is a secondary fire which acts as a light homing shot; holding down its key charges it, creating a stronger blast upon its eventual release. You cannot choose the target the shot will track, but it's typically the nearest foe, and sometimes the biggest as well.

You have access to power-ups in the form of single-use weapons such as a mega-bomb, destroying all enemies within its radius of effect; a turret-like beam that attacks enemies one-by-one for a short duration of time; and a dual-fighter escort that's impervious to enemy fire. Other power-ups include the power to freeze time for a few seconds, and a similarly brief protective shield. These power-ups all drop from destroyed enemies and are drawn to your ship once you move close enough to them.

One interesting mechanic that makes a huge impact on play strategy is the fact that your ship is constantly in motion. It's easy to steer, but you cannot completely stop. It's possible to strafe enemies, causing lateral movement, which is especially useful when fighting bosses. There is also a "hypermode" that allows your ship to travel twice as fast as its normal cruising speed, but at the cost of maneuverability; there is, thankfully, no gauge to limit use of this mode.

Basic enemies are geometric shapes -- squares, circles, triangles -- that fire single shots. Next up the food chain are more complex shapes that have their own firing methodologies and movement speeds, and finally, the bosses.

Boss enemies appear at the end of most levels, and they each require their own play strategy. Some travel freely around the field with greater or lesser speeds than your own. Some fire lancer-like beams of devastating power, forcing you to dodge them, while others prefer to blanket the area with fire. Your ship can only take so much, so it's important to develop the ability to quickly assess a boss's attack style and adapt quickly.

Sometimes the playing field is vast enough to require the use of the teleporters, which instantaneously move your ship from one end of the field to the other and back again. While the enemies cannot use these teleporters, the mental and visual shift required to transition to the new surroundings can cause one to lose precious seconds of orientation -- seconds that the enemies will exploit to your dismay.

Another element of gameplay is the mini-radar in the upper-right corner. It displays, in miniature, the entire field of play and all the enemies within it. It's useful as a quick indication of where you ought to place your attention, but too much staring into it will result in a quick death.

Finally, the later stages of the title alter gameplay conventions somewhat. For example, the previously reliable static walls may suddenly become passable in a given direction -- you can enter going one way, but can't exit that same way. This is indicated by arrows embedded in the walls themselves, indicating the passable direction. Some walls actually allow the passage of fire -- both yours and the enemies -- but don't actually allow travel through them.

The enemies -- at least up until the level I was able to attain -- all had undersea-themed names and appearances. Tentacles that fire equally-wiggly beams are one motif, as is a spherical boss that spawns tiny bullets that cannot be destroyed, only outrun.

All in all, Neon Tango is an amazingly fun game for both proponents of the arcade-style shmup and those entirely new to the genre. Most of all, it's a lovingly-crafted title that's a Mac fan's reward for years of scarce opportunities for truly engaging, crazygonuts ship-oriented action. Freeverse Software is a studio with a cadre of talented designers and developers within its ranks -- go check out the rest of what they have to offer; you won't be disappointed.