Wonder Boy in Monster World

Shion, protagonist of Wonder Boy in Monster World.

The final Wonder Boy game released outside of Japan. A new protagonist called Shion embarks on a heroic adventure to save his land from a monster invasion.

Tropes used in Wonder Boy in Monster World include:

• Big Damn Heroes: The Darkworld Prince.
• Call Back: Quite a few:
  • To Wonder Boy:
    • The penultimate boss loses his head and grows a new one several times, just like Drancon.
  • To Wonder Boy in Monster Land:
    • The first area of the game closely resembles the beginning of that game. Even the hidden coins are there!
    • The Maugham Desert part is similar to the Mam Desert and the Pyramid levels from that game: aside from the similar names, the pit where platforms appear when you kill bats reappears (but is not mandatory this time), and the bosses of both areas are Sphinxes that like quizzes (except this time, he actually looks like a Sphinx).
    • The The penultimate dungeon is a better looking (and sounding) version of that game's last level.
  • To Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair:
    • The Purapril Castle shares its name with the second player character from that game.
    • This game's final level shares its music with that's game final level.
    • The first level boss (a big fish that turns its scales into smaller fish) appears several times as a simple mook.
  • To Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap:
    • When Shion has the Pygmy equipment, he can shrink, but only in one special room. It looks a lot like the transformation rooms from that game, complete with the small platform on which the transformation occurs.
    • The boss battle music from that game is heard twice in this one. Both times the boss in question is a dragon (all bosses in that game were dragons).
    • Several Piranha-Men appear in this game as mooks.
    • The fairy town, Alsedo, has a similar name to that's game only town, Aseldo.
• Difficulty by Region: In the Japanese version, dying simply warps you to the last inn and charges you the normal inn fee, making death an effective means of backtracking. In the American version, death takes you to a Game Over screen (Dynastic Hero is based on the Japanese version).
• Fairy Companion: Priscilla, who joins you for the Alsedo Cave mission. She has the ability to find hidden hearts.
• Fungus Humongous: The Myconid in Alsedo Cave. Also a Warmup Boss, since its attack pattern is predictable and only takes several hits to defeat.
• Goomba Springboard: The jellyfish.
• Heart Container
• Hopeless Boss Fight: Biomeka, until the Darkworld Prince shows up.
• Incredible Shrinking Man: With the "Pygmy" equipment.
• Informed Equipment: In the Master System version, the only way equipment affects your appearance is whether you have a sword or spear. In the Genesis version, most weapons and shields look different.
• Market-Based Title: Known as Wonder Boy V: Monster World III in Japan.
• Nostalgia Level: The very first area is just like the beginning of Wonder Boy in Monster Land.
• Password Save: In the Master System version, and this time it isn't short.
• Pop Quiz: The Sphinx again.
• Sequel Hook: Bio Meka is shown to be alive and well at the very end of the game.
• Songs in the Key of Lock: The cavern near Alsedo has locks that will only respond to the tune of an ocarina.
• Spin to Deflect Stuff: If you have a spear equipped, you do this to block, instead of using your shield.
• Super Not-Drowning Skills: Justified, as you need Poseidon's Trident just to swim underwater. For the first time not being able to swim does not make the main character sink like a rock.
  • Then again, just how does Shion stay afloat while wearing all that heavy equipment?