Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World

I wrote this guide on x360a and I have received positive feedback for it. So I'm going to re-post it here. If you want the formatted version with coloured text here is the link:
http://www.xbox360achievements.org/forum/showthread.php?p=51...

The first thing to note is that there is no backtracking in this game. Once you leave an area you won't come back. With the exception of Rapadagna. But i'm not sure if the collectables are available in the other visits here so make sure you grab them as listed in this guide. Abuse save states to make sure you grab them all in the area.

Estahaan point:
1-5 in the first house, in the back room talk to the lady, she will give you a chest with 5 inside.
6 in the screen after all the people waving goodbye, just after the bridge its in plain sight next to a tree.
7 in the next screen with the cows, in the sky once again, very easy to see
8 in the screen after the save point, where you are introduced to the green blobs. Just before the end of the screen floating in mid air.
9 in the first forest screen, right before the screen ends floating in mid air.
10 a couple of screens later, still in the forest. Floating in mid air on a lower section, about midway through the screen.
11 in the next screen where you climb up onto the pillars, jump from the 2nd to the left to catch this Life Drop

Progress Check: 1 Blue Heart and 1 Life Drop

Tower of Silence
12 When your first enter the tower head to the door on the far left. The life drop is in here right above a mummy.
13 in the room that was previously blocked off by silver blocks climb the rope and its at the of it just to the right.
14 inside the door you needed the key to unlock, its right above you when you enter.
15-17 after you kill the 4 wolves to create the 4 platforms so you can climb to the next level, head into the door on the far left and kill another wolf. A platform will appear that will allow you to access the chest up above with gold and 3 Life Drops
18 In the locked door just to the right of the 4 platforms mentioned above, there is a rope. About halfway up on the right is the life drop.
19 After you have run through the hallway with the spikes and mummies and jumped on the ascending platform, head into the door closest to you on the left. In here you will find a green troll who when defeated will drop a life drop.
20 After you have climbed the rope that has spikes coming at you on the way up, go through the door and head left. Here you will see a life drop underneath the floor you are standing on. Drop through the floor to claim it.

Progress Check: 2 Blue Hearts 0 Life Drops

Rapadagna City
21-23 In the same room where you get your Pepelogoo egg and the Earth Medallion. Inside the middle chest on the bottom row.
24 After hatching your egg head back into the castle and where you went left for find the egg and the last 3 life drops head right. Here you will find the kitchen. The Life Drop is in the top left corner. Use Pepe to double jump up and claim it.
25-27 from the castle courtyard (in between the castle interior and the castles outer wall), use Pepe to double jump over the left wall. Here you will find a chest with 3 inside.
28-30 From the castle courtyard, this time head right. Use Pepe to traverse the buildings and you will eventually see a door and inside is a chest with 3 more.
31-33 From the last chest exit the door and head even further right, using Pepe to jump the buildings again. At the end you will find another chest with 3 inside.
34 In the city area, head into the first door you see and you will find a rich lady. Go through the back door and climb upwards. Head outside to find a Life Drop floating to the right.
35 From the last one, jump to the next rooftop. It is floating in the middle section of this rooftop.
36 In the next screen, jump on top of the first building a push up in between the 2 trees to reveal a chest with gold coins and a Life Drop.
37 Just to the right of 36 floating above the upper section of the same rooftop
38 From 37 Jump across to the next rooftop to find another floating there
39 On the same building as 38 but on the opposite side
40 Make your way onto the building on the far right of the city and use Pepe to glide into the next screen on the right. Once you close enough you will need to jump from Pepe to reach it.

Progress Check: 4 Blue Hearts 0 Life Drops

Earth Gate
41 After crossing the platforms going to the left you will come to platforms that lead upward. Before heading up, go left to find this one floating above its own platform
42-44 In the next section there will be some green trolls. Each one drops a life drop.

Progress Check: 4 Blue Hearts 4 Life Drops

Handera Volcano
45 In the room after you first meet the stone golem, throw Pepe into the fire geyser to create a platform, ride up and jump for the life drop
46-48 In the room where you first use Pepe on the blue switches, head down to the bottom floor where the bridge is and avoid the fireballs while travelling right. Go past the next switch and your Life Drops are in the chest found at the other side of the bridge.
49-51 In the room with multiple fire geysers in a line and flaming ghosts, head all the way left and instead of going down, use Pepe on the last Fire geyser to reach a platform leading to a chest with the 3 Life Drops you are looking for.
52 In the room where you are dodging fireballs coming at you from the left, the Life Drop is on the an upper platform as you make your way through.
53 After the room where you used Pepe on the switch to create the platform in the lava to get across, you will come to 2 steam geysers. Use the one on the right to reach this Life Drop
54 In the room where you enter with the heart machine on your right ascend until you reach the 3rd switch. From here drop down to the left to find a chest with gold and a Life Drop
55 In the room with lots of falling fireballs that you have to glide down avoiding, there is a life drop on the far left wall as you glide down. I would HIGHLY recommend making a save before you make the jump as if you miss it you have missed it for good.
56 In the same room as above, when you get past the falling fireballs. Continue on dodging the horizontal firing fireballs until you come red-brown flooring. Here you can drop through the floor. Do so until you reach the bottom to find the Life Drop.

Progress Check: 5 Blue Hearts 6 Life Drops

Moon Gate
57 In the screen where you meet the lightning fish that jump out from underneath the bridge, there is a Life Drop at the very start floating just before the fish.
58 In the next screen there is a Life Drop hovering over one of the bridges.
59 In the next screen you will find a bridge right above another bridge, take the lower bridge to the right and find your life drop behind an electric slime.
60-63 after the fish sections you will come to a section with gargoyles that come to life. There are 4 along the way to the dead end with the sign. Each one dropping its own life drop.

Progress Check: 6 Blue Hearts 3 Life Drops

Stream Sanctuary

64 As soon as you enter the pipe next to the heart machine, jump to get the life drop before being sucked into the pipe.
65 From where you first fill the bucket, drop down into the stream and jump up onto the first ledge you come to. If you haven't picked anything off this ledge yet there will be a coin. The second time through there will be a heart and the third time through your life drop. You can keep going through this room as many times as you like so you have plenty of chance to collect those 3 items.
66-68 When you come to the part where you use Pepe to extinguish the flame to open up the electric fences on either side of the shaft you fell down earlier jump to the left, climb the rope like vine, kill the green and purple enemy and open the chest. In here is 3 Life Drops
69-75 When you come to a folk in your path where there is a big fire on both, take the upper path and extinguish that fire. Behind it is a chest with SEVEN Life Drops in it,
76 In the room with 5 streams going downwards, there is a Life Drop at the very top of the far left one. I would recommend saving before going for it because if you mess up and fall down the hole of the far left you can't get back.
77 In the room after you cross the electric floored bodies of water. You will be introduced to underwater steams. One will spit you out while still under water, You need to float down here to get the Life Drop. If you time it right you can get Pepe to save you before hitting the electric fence. But if you don't, don't worry as you will keep the life drop after it respawns you at the rooms entrance.

Progress Check: 7 Blue Hearts 7 Life Drops

Rapadanga (After Stream Santuary)

78-82 Talk to the lady in the building on the far right of the city. She will first ask if anything good has happened since getting Pepe, answer Yes. She will then ask if you are afraid to see the truth, answer No. she will then give you a chest with 5 Life Drops inside

Progress Check: 8 Blue Hearts 2 Life Drops

Sun Gate
83 While heading towards the pyramid you will jump various spiky ice formations. Above one of the big ones that you jump over there is a life drop. Very hard to miss.
84 When you reach the pyramid climb up above Sphinx's head and drop down onto him to claim this Life Drop.

Progress Check: 8 Blue Hearts 4 Life Drops

Ice Pyramid I
85 As soon as you go through the door that required the red code you will see it floating right above your head.
86 From the Leopard Statue, jump down the shaft and head right. Then head up the elevator you come to and go through to the room on the right. At the end of here you will find a heart machine and a door with a Life Drop floating above it.
87 Floating right above the door that requires the blue code with the witch statue behind it.
88 Above the door that requires the blue code on the opposite side from the blue door mentioned above.
89 From 88 go through the door and head all the way right. You will find yourself at an elevator shaft. The Life Drop is floating at the top of this shaft.
90-95 Behind the dark code door, jump at the wall on the right to find a secret passage. In here you will find a talking chest who will ask you if you want various things. He will first ask if you want Healing Medicine, answer No. Then he will ask if you want a Life Drop, answer Yes. He will then make a chest appear with 5 Life Drops inside.

Progress Check: 9 Blue Hearts and 5 Life Drops

Ice Pyramid II
96 From the Leopard Statue drop down the false floor to the left and then head to the far left. In the next room the Life Drop is floating there in plain sight.
97 In the room right after you first meet the yellow bat, you will find yourself in an elevator shaft, drop down and then ride the elevator all the way up. The Life Drop is at the very top.
98 From the Witch Statue head left and find the secret door. From here head all the way left again and find another secret door Once in this door look left and see a chest. Life Drop is inside.
(the elevator you pass will take you back to the beginning if you need to backtrack for anything)
99-101 From the Owl Statue head all the way right and fall through the false floor. Here you will see a chest off to the left with 3 Life Drops in it.

Progress Check: 10 Blue Hearts and 1 Life Drop

Achievement Note: When Sphinx gives you the quiz, answer WRONG. He will throw you down to the spiky ice below and you will be hurt. Head left and down to the spring and use it for the “Refreshment” achievement.

Ice Pyramid III
102-104 From the Owl Statue head into the first door you come to heading left. In here head to the far left side of the room to find a chest and 3 life drops within.
105 After you get the Swallow Statue use Pepe to break the ice below and find a shield enemy. Behind him on the upper ledge is the Life Drop
106 In the elevator shaft with the heart machine at the bottom. The Life Drop is at the very top
107 n the room to the right of the Statue Placement room, the Life Drop is all the way in the far right under the archway.

Progress Check: 10 Blue Hearts and 7 Life Drops

Rapadagna (After Ice Pyramid)
108-116 Inside the castle, head down towards the kitchen again but inside of going right head up the stairs to the left and into the room where the weightlifters used to be. There is a chest in here with NINE Life Drops in it.

Progress Check: 11 Blue Hearts 6 Life Drops

Wind Gate
(I would recommend saving just before the Magic carpet section as these collectables are gone when you pass them...)
117 When you get the magic carpet and begin you glide over to the next dungeon, there will be clouds for you to jump on. The second set of clouds has a Life Drop at the end.
118 After 117 there is a Life Drop you need to drop down to. It has a few coins leading to it. You will land safely on a cloud.
119 Right after 118 you will meet some flying snake like enemies. In the upper part of the screen the Life Drop is under an enemy, floating in mid air.

Progress Check 11 Blue Hearts and 9 Life Drops.

Sky Castle
120 In the room where you see the spinning spikes that you have to jump over, after jumping the first one, drop down and hit the spring. It will send you into another spring which will hurl you into the Life Drop. I'm pretty sure this Life Drop is unmissable.
121-123 From the above Life drop, continue on until you reach the ground floor. Here head right and through the electrical slimes and open the spike gate. In here a spring throws you upwards to a chain. Grab the chain and jump to the right and find another spring that will send you into the room on the left. Here you need to jump on the moving blocks and grab the chains. At the far left of the room is a chest with 3 Life Drops in it.
124-127 After the part where you kill your first 2 giant coins and had to run like the wind to get from the switch and up to the spiked gate in time. Just through that gate drop down where the chain is you will find 2 more giant coins and a chest with 4 Life Drops in it.
128 In the next room from 124-127 make you way across the moving mini conveyor belts. On your way upwards you will find a life drop floating. Use the spring on the right ledge to reach it.
129-133 In the room where you defeat the giant slime. After you defeat him head to the right. Past the chest there is a secret passage inside the wall. You will find a chest with a golden bar. Keep heading right through ANOTHER secret wall and open the chest. You will find a herb, but this will also trigger another chest to appear. Open that chest to find 5 Life Drops.
134 After heading out of the room with the giant slime, head through to the top left exit (The conveyor belts will have moved since last time you were in here) In the next room you will find a heart machine and yet more spinning spikes. Travel across 2 sets of these to find a ledge with a spring it it. On this ledge is a Life Drop.
135 From 134 use the spring to get up to the next ledge. Here is your next Life Drop.
136 After you defeat the second red troll you will be in another room with conveyor belts and spinning spikes. In the middle of this room floating between conveyor belts is a Life Drop
137-139 In the next room where the fans blow you around towards the final boss of this dungeon. You will been blown through 3 Life Drops. I am pretty sure they are unmissable.

Progress Check: 13 Blue Hearts and 9 Life Drops.

Underground Fort
140 The first green troll you come to will drop this.
Achievement Note: a few rooms after this one is the drop with the jellyfish. This is a very easy place to get your “Such Agility” achievement.
141-143 A couple of rooms after the Harpy boss, there is a chest with 3 drops in it here.
144-146 In the room after the Giant Chicken there are 3 gargoyles, each with their own Life Drop. Be careful here though as it is possible to kill them while they are inside the wall, making your Life Drop unreachable.
147 A couple of rooms after the Minotaur boss, you will see this Life Drop floating right in the shaft you need to jump down.
148-150 A couple of rooms after the Horse Boss, you will find 3 green trolls, each with their own Life Drop.

There are 150 total Life Drops and they're spread out across the game world; some just hang in the air, others are dropped by enemies and others are in chests. Beware that items in this game disappear VERY fast and that DOES include Life Drops! Also beware that there is no back-tracking in this game, unlike the game you probably just played in the collection (WB in Monster World).

I've been searching for one and I'm not sure there is a complete Life Drop guide out there, but I did find this sort-of checklist:

http://strategywiki.org/wiki/Monster_World_IV/Life_Drops

That list lets you know how many you need to find in a certain area before you move on. The column on the right lists what status you should be in when you're done with an area, so before you fight bosses or take obvious exits, make sure to compare your status bar in the game with the right column.

I did find a walkthrough that mentions most of the Life Drops:

http://www.intentionallyblank.net/gameguides/mw4.txt

However, the walkthrough is missing a few Life Drops and they are as follows:

Stream Sanctuary: There is one in the room with all the water streams with coins in them, at the top of the left-most stream. Very hard to spot. You cannot backtrack to this one unless you use the genie to go back to town and replay the whole level.

Ice Pyramid II: This one's very easy to find so it's confusing that the guide missed it. On your map, there's a rectangular room connecting to a small, square room at the far right of the top part of the map. The LD is in the small room, just hanging near the ceiling. You can backtrack to this from anywhere in the Pyramid II part (as long as you don't beat the boss).