Sidequest

Sidequests are elements of a game, for example: minigames, scavenger hunts, mazes, etc., that don't depend on the outcome of the game itself. Sidequests are included within games to:


 * create extra interest in the game after it has been completed
 * prolong the "life" of the game
 * to give the player something to do when stuck
 * to improve the player's status, experience or life

Within the Zelda series, there are several sidequests that are prevalent within subsequent games.
 * Heart Pieces
 * Stock Limit Upgrades
 * Quiver Upgrades
 * Wallet Upgrades
 * Tunic Upgrades
 * Extra Weaponry
 * Optional Arrow Attributes (Ice Arrow)
 * Optional Swords (Biggoron's Sword)
 * New Attack Abilities
 * Hidden Skills
 * Collection Quests
 * Figurine Galleries
 * Poe Souls
 * Skulltulas
 * Trading Sequences

Usually, sidequests do not effect the game's path, but can enhance or strengthen the player's status while on such a path. In every Zelda game, it is possible to beat the entire story without the aid of extra heart pieces, more arrows in one's quiver, and more money, but the game is better fulfilled when it is beaten with these elements included.

The sidequests, while barely present since the NES games, officially became important in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, mainly thanks to the introduction of the Piece of Heart system; because the game featured multiple dungeons (twelve), there were too many Heart Containers posessed by the bosses, meaning that a mere two (supposing that the 16-heart meter seen in the original NES game would be present again) would be available in the overworld. To solve this, the game featured an extended 20-heart life meter and, additionally, split the then six Containers left into four pieces each (for a total of 24 pieces), giving the player the need to guide Link across extra stages housing them, as well as winning minigames. The possibility of enhancing the weaponry (bombs, arrows, sword, etc.), as well as the introduction of optional weapons and artifacts, improved this aspect of the game. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening featured the same methods, but also introduced the first Trading Sequence sidequest in the series.

Whereas the subsequent handheld 2D Zelda games would follow the footsteps of A Link to the Past in this aspect, the first 3D game (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time) not only included the aforementioned sidequests, but also made the player focus on helping people to receive different prizes; the game is also notorious for featuring the first hunt-based sidequest in the series, in the form of the Golden Skulltula spiders. The fact that most of these spiders only appear at night or from some secret spots, increased significantly the challenge of the 100% completion. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask potentially improved and increased the sidequest catalogue, mainly thanks to the game's time-based system, as well as the low number of dungeons with Heart Containers. The minigames are more in number and more complex to master, there is more people in need of help (in fact, the game gives the player the possibility to find the Bombers' Notebook so that he can plan the solution of the characters' problems), there are more secret areas and spots with optional prizes, and the hunts are now restricted to dungeons (Stray Fairies) and houses (Golden Skulltulas). To make things more fitting, the game's working title was Zelda Gaiden, or Zelda Side Story.

In recent games, such as The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, the sidequests have become more challenging to the player, making it harder to archieve the reward one is after. For example, in The Wind Waker the player is involved into the extremely long Nintendo Gallery completion and the search for treasures and special maps by the Treasure Chart hunt; also, because of the high number of optional islands available, it takes more time to find every single Piece of Heart. In contrast, Twilight Princess features moderately fewer sidequests than its predecessors; among them are various hunts (Poe Souls and Golden Bugs), all-new minigames, a revamped Heart Piece system and learning Hidden Skills, among others. Twilight Princess is also unique in the fact that almost all dungeons (the exception is the last one) hide two Heart Pieces each, increasing the exploration factor (which is also symbolized by the higher number of extra caverns and spots with hidden Heart Pieces); this also brings a disadvantage, however, as there are fewer people to help, in fact only one rewards the player with a Heart Piece. Also, unlike the other 3D games, Twilight Princess has no trading sequence either.