This is not the same topic as the other Zelda Wii U Thread. That one discusses an online or MMO component, while this one is more general.
I think it'll probably stick to the Wiimotion Plus rather than using the gamepad, as that really worked well in Skyward Sword. If they had to use the gamepad, it'd be for the rumored Link to the Past remake/sequel, or a Four Swords game. So as for traditional 3D Zelda games like Ocarina of Time or Skyward Sword, what would you expect from the next iteration of that?
I'm thinking that because the console is much more powerful, Hyrule Field is going to be huge. It'll be like the Great Sea in Wind Waker, except you'll be riding a horse instead of a boat. It could even have islands like Wind Waker, as long as they can think of content to warrant exploring. Heart Pieces and Rupees are the obvious incentive to explore, but who knows, maybe you could find rare upgrade parts for your weapons by solving puzzles in Hyrule Field. Also, random boss battles. Anyone remember the multi-eyed squid thing from Wind Waker that would suck you down into a whirlpool and you had to shoot it's eyes with the cannon in order to avoid being warped around? Imagine Gohmas, Giant Stalfoes, Big Poes, Giant Dodongos, Dragons (like Skyrim lol), or if Shadow Ganon showed up periodically and just challenged you out in the open. You'd obviously get a big rupee bonus or a heart piece (if it was the first time), but you could always choose to run away.
How about DLC that adds new dungeons? It might be worth going through just to get the Heart Container at the end, or maybe it'd be more like an expansion pack that adds new story content.
I think we can expect an art style that is more suited to showing high detail than Skyward Sword. Also great long draw distances so you can see grand pieces of scenery like Hyrule Castle ( I found it quite the pain that bigger objects were blurred out in Skyward Sword when they got farther away).
Maybe we could expect some nice additions to the physics as well, like great oceans of grass blowing in the wind. Or a thin layer of destructible rock on everything in the fire temple. You might be able to dig with a shovel and excavate a spot in Hyrule Field looking for buried treasure. Or there could be some interesting fluid dynamics puzzles in the Water Temple. Will enemies ragdoll before they explode? Or maybe Stalfoes could explode into bone fragments that react to the world.
Castle Town would also be much larger, and Link could take on odd jobs from hundreds of residents for small amounts of Rupees. Minigames would abound from the Commercial area, more so than we've seen from any other Zelda game. Perhaps there will be some kind of Guru that gives you rewards for reliving previous boss battles, or a monster trainer that throws you into the arena to prove your manliness against teams of various creatures you encounter and various other human challengers.
The Temples themselves might be several times longer, having several minibosses or even requiring you to backtrack or visit other temples in order to progress. It'd be kind of annoying, but interesting if you got midway through the forest temple only to find out you need items from the Fire and Water Temples to go further (same for both of them requiring the item you've gotten thus far from the Forest Temple).
Regardless, I'm sure it will be awesome. What are your thoughts?
