Thank you Ratalaika Games for providing us with a review code!

Gynoug (I have no idea how to pronounce that!) was originally released in 1991 for the Sega Genesis. In North America it was titled Wings of Wor which I think is a better name. Wii Virtual Console gamers had an opportunity to play Gynoug in 2008. Recently In 2021, Gynoug was released on multiple consoles including the Switch, PS4 and Xbox One.

The backstory is pretty simple. A nemesis who goes by The Destroyer has sent legions of demons and monsters to overtake the land of Iccus. In response, the heavens have sent the angel Wor to defend Iccus and to defeat The Destroyer and his minions.

Gynoug is a side-scrolling shoot ‘em up where enemies and obstacles that will appear from all directions. However, most of them will appear from the sides. Some creatures will appear from the ground and in the cavern level you’ll have to dodge falling stalactites.

Like many shoot ‘em ups, there are mid-bosses and a final boss at the end of each level. Bosses typically have an attack pattern and a small hitbox to where they are vulnerable. While you’re waiting for their weakness to be exposed, you’ll have to dodge numerous bullets to stay alive.

As you’re protecting Iccus you’ll have the opportunity to collect a number of power-ups. Sadly these are not explained very well so I’ll share my findings here. Red orbs increase your attack power while blue ones increase the bullet spread. If you pick up a feather, Wor will get a temporary speed boost. Wor can collect and store up to three magical scrolls before the first one is discarded. The scrolls summon magical powers including the ability to cast a shield of protection, shoot magical arrows, and hurl lightning bolts. These scrolls are best saved for boss battles.

Gynoug has four difficulty levels: Easy, Normal, Hard and Hyper. When you launch Gynoug, you’ll be greeted with an extra menu that gives you the option to use save states and enable cheats. The cheat options include retaining weapons after you die, unlimited credits/continues, infinite lives, infinite magic, and invincibility.

While Gynoug is fun, it’s not without its moral failings. After a second loop of the Hyper Mode this game drops an F-bomb in an attempt to congratulate you. Funnily enough, instead of saying F-yeah it says F-you. As a shoot ‘em up, violence is a given. Some of the hideous looking enemies have organs dangling and bones exposed. Magic use is optional if you decide to use the scroll provided. Last but not least, one of the bosses resembles a male reproductive organ.

If the above issues don’t bother you, this game is worth looking into. Gynoug can be purchased for $6.99 on the Nntendo eShop. It’s also part of a classic shmups collection that retails for $10.00 and comes bundled with Gleylancer. I have seen this bundle on sale for as little as $7.69 which is a steal for both titles.