The Beauty that is an Awesome Sidequest

This could be a whole separate post of me talking about how awesome Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is, but that'll come later.

The one single thing that really stands out to me about that game is the sidequests.

With tons of characters who's models were recycled from Ocarina of Time, on the surface it may just seem like a cheap cash in. But this time, they're real people. The sidequest where you drive into town with a woman that works on her farm with her little sister, the dialogue during that sidequest is truly awesome.

And these aren't your normal "I dropped an item in a forest/dungeon. Could you get it for me?" or, "My pet/child is lost in a forest/dungeon. Could you get it/them for me?" these are full on character driven sidequests.

Though Fallout 3 did have some major flaws in it, some of the quests in that game (don't worry no spoilers ahead) were really original and fun. Also, I really like Mass Effect, not for the types of quests you do, but for the way they are presented in the universe.

If you really think about it, what really is a sidequest? Something that doesn't relate to the main journey, but contains the main gameplay core as well? Majora's Mask, in my opinion, is the best example of something like that.

What are some of the favorite "sidequests" you've ever been on or what game do you think had the best "sidequests?" Comments appreciated!

This could be a whole separate post of me talking about how awesome Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is, but that'll come later.

The one single thing that really stands out to me about that game is the sidequests.

With tons of characters who's models were recycled from Ocarina of Time, on the surface it may just seem like a cheap cash in. But this time, they're real people. The sidequest where you drive into town with a woman that works on her farm with her little sister, the dialogue during that sidequest is truly awesome.

And these aren't your normal "I dropped an item in a forest/dungeon. Could you get it for me?" or, "My pet/child is lost in a forest/dungeon. Could you get it/them for me?" these are full on character driven sidequests.

Though Fallout 3 did have some major flaws in it, some of the quests in that game (don't worry no spoilers ahead) were really original and fun. Also, I really like Mass Effect, not for the types of quests you do, but for the way they are presented in the universe.

If you really think about it, what really is a sidequest? Something that doesn't relate to the main journey, but contains the main gameplay core as well? Majora's Mask, in my opinion, is the best example of something like that.

What are some of the favorite "sidequests" you've ever been on or what game do you think had the best "sidequests?" Comments appreciated!

The best sidequests? 
I dunno.  Probably not WRPGs, because they pretty much all use them to make the game longer and they're full of mediocrity (looking at you elder scrolls).
Probably something from a jrpg, because it's actually a fleshed out fun thing in many (although there are definately some do this, but they're so simple it's more of just dialogue to flesh out the story typically)

I guess the golden saucer in general in FF7.  Not the true definition of a sidequest, but there was the battle arena as well as a whole bunch of mini games that you could get prizes for. 

Edit:  KOTOR actually comes to mind as a wrpg with good side quests. Granted though, there weren't many.  Balanced it right there.

I think you've outlined a good example in Majora's Mask. Those sidequests required a lot of out-of-the-box thinking.

Yeah, the main reason that I consider Majora's Mask the best Zelda game in the franchise is because of the excellent side-quests. They are more endearing to me than the side-quests in any other game, because they aren't just a means to an end (ie: do tasks X and Y and be rewarded with item Z). Majora's Mask's side-quests do a remarkable job of connecting the player emotionally to the NPCs, and really make the entire game world feel more personal and believable.

Other than Majora's Mask, I really enjoyed the side-quests in Mass Effect and KOTOR 1 -- Bioware does a great job of crafting unique dialogue and interesting scenarios.

The Wasteland Survival Guide in Fallout 3. Nuff said.