Aonuma on how Nintendo approaches the open world in Zelda U

[Asriel]

"We can achieve this thanks to the hardware features of Wii U, but to truly get a deep understanding of the game world, we also need a real map that depicts the world as it is. The GamePad is very effective for displaying this, and thus also [for] providing players with a constant hint on where to head to."

I think this is the key part. To me, I don't read into that that the gamepad will just display a static map: that's hardly something that only the Wii U could do. What if you get a real time, over-head display of the overworld? If you don't know where to go, take a look at your gamepad: what's changed? Is something happening? Think about what happened when you left the Temple of Time in Ocarina, and Death Mountain was red. Think about how Navi talked about the cold winds coming from Zora's Domain. Instead of having your companion tell you the world has changed, your gamepad display will have the hint. Maybe smoke is coming from Death Mountain, or the flow of a river has changed, a lake has ran dry, villagers are on the move. A locked gate has opened. Maybe there's going to be cause and effect at play, to avoid too much linearity. Done one thing in one part of the map, something opens up somewhere else: these events wouldn't need to happen in a set order.

Aonuma says the game needs "a real map that displays the world as it is", and I think that's crucial. It gives you two perspectives on the game. The personal perspective of the hero on the television, and the wider perspective across the whole world on the gamepad. It'd fit into the idea of a feature you can use as much as, or as little as, you like, in order to gain access to secrets. Just want to explore? Don't look at the gamepad. Need a hand? Check out your "real map", displaying the world as it is.