Monster World IV

Asha, protagonist of Monster World IV

The final installment of the Wonder Boy/Monster World series features a female protagonist, Asha. When she hears spirits asking for help, she decides to embark on a journey to help them.

The game was never released outside of Japan on the Mega Drive, but Sega released an English-translated version of the game on the Wii Virtual Console, Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade (the XBLA release is part of Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World along with Wonder Boy in Monster Land and Wonder Boy in Monster World) in May 2012.

Tropes used in Monster World IV include:

• Action Girl: The new protagonist Asha.
• Ancient Arabia: The game's setting style, in a departure from the Middle Ages setting from the other games. Examples of this include:
  • A genie.
  • Scimitars.
  • A magic carpet.
  • A merchant who uses a camel.
  • A Taj Mahal-esque palace.
  • Caravans.
  • And some of the music is done in an Arabic-style.
• Back from the Dead: Three examples: 1) Pepe returns to help you during the final battle. 2) The final boss, Fear Incarnate, is Bio Meka from Wonder Boy in Monster World. 3) Pepe is revived again during the ending credits by Asha.
• Badass Adorable: Asha/Arsha fits this trope to a T. Not only does she go out and fight against the evil threatening the world. She is also the one to finally put an end to Biomeka.
• Big Damn Heroes: A fully grown Pepe gets to be the hero twice.
• Butt Monkey: Let's face it... Pepe. During the adventure, Asha gets him to do all sorts of harmful things (like serving as a platform while in contact with lava or getting frozen).
• Call Back:
  • The four elemental spirits are actually Shion's temporary sidekicks from the previous game.
  • One of the books in the Royal Library is called Magic of Eleanora, Eleanora being the fairy queen from the previous game.
  • Shion himself is mentioned in one of the books. Unfortunately, it's not good news: a hole suddenly appeared in front of his house, he disappeared and was never heard from again.
  • Biomeka, the villian from Wonderboy in Monster World IS Fear Incarnate.
• Collision Damage: Averted with most enemies (the ones that do hurt you are the ones that look painful, like the ones that are on fire), despite being played straight in the rest of the series.
• Continuity Nod: The aforementioned final boss. Also, some of the spirits you rescue are the same as those from Wonder Boy in Monster World.
• Darkest Hour: After the yellow Pepeloogos reveal themselves, the background music in town switches to an ominous tune. The villagers are apathetic and some are very rude to you (including the rich lady, who won't buy gold bars from you), and the armor merchant is no longer there. On top of what, the previously nice queen is going mad with power, and after confronting her, Pepe nearly dies and can't follow you anymore.
• Evil All Along: The yellow Pepeloogos through Demonic Possession that took place well before Asha came to town.
• Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Of Ancient Arabia in particular.
• Flying Carpet: Used to reach the sky dungeon.
• Hailfire Peaks: The Ice Pyramid is a mix of Temple of Doom and Slippy-Slidey Ice World.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Done twice by the the Pepelagoo. First, he takes the missile that the queen shoots at Asha. Then, in the final battle, he blocks the boss from using his petrifying gaze, getting turned to stone himself in the process.
• Inconveniently-Placed Conveyor Belt: In the sky dungeon. They're tiny, and they move.
• Obviously Evil: The Warlocks in their human forms. Scowling faces with black beards, pointy ears... Come on!
• Recurring Riff: Nearly the entire soundtrack consists of rearrangements of the game's main theme.
• Ridiculously Cute Critter: The Pepelogoo.
• Shoo Out the Clowns: Pepe does not follow Asha during the final two levels after nearly getting killed.
• Spell My Name with an "S": Arsha, or Asha? The official English translation uses the latter, but the Sega Gals figurine uses the former (which also uses "Peperogu" instead of "Pepelagoo").
• Taken for Granite: One of Fear Incarnate's attacks.