Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't most handheld zelda games already top down? The only portable Zelda game I've played is ALBW (played all the console ones) and I understand it was a return to form, but I've seen clips of the other handheld games and they've generally all been top-down (just a few exceptions).

Also, it sounds like Ninty is going to have figure something out with the hub/menu system. It can be:

1.on-the-fly wii-mote style which was a move in the right direction (a more seemless gameplay experience)
2.like the Wii U demo version where it's just always mapped to the screen but then the gamepad can not be used for anything else at all!
3. It will have to degrade back to pressing the start button and interrupting the action. This will have to happen if the second screen is a top-down view to complement the 3d on the tv.

This second screen seriously complicates to many issues when they weren't yet finished tapping the potential of the wii-mote innovation. It's like Nintendo is trying to move too fast and force people to keep up with them.

Wouldn't surprise me, I don't think Nintendo wants to spend a ton of money on the next Zelda because the userbase for the console simply isn't shaping up to be too hot and Nintendo's not making money as is. Right now a monster budget Zelda game is probably the last thing that want to finance. 

A top down Zelda would be far cheaper to produce.

They probably can port it to the next-gen Nintendo portable too more easily which will probably be out around fall 2015 I think.

"I feel we’ve found a new direction in regards to the potential use of the good old top-down view for Zelda"
I think he's referring to use the top-down view for specific sections of a Zelda game.

Also the way he says "when thinking about the next Zelda game" makes me think that he is referring to a Zelda game where they are yet to define the perspective and I doubt they haven't defined the perspective of the WiiU Zelda at this point.

If the next Wii U Zelda game uses a top down view im gonna be reeeeeeeal mad.

If Nintendo is going to do this, they might as well just stop making home consoles because none of us buy home consoles for 2D and top down Zelda's and Mario's etc. We have our 3DSs for that.

Get ready for your portable/sorta-console hybrid. It's coming. It's inevitable really, Wii U is a total failure I don't think they are ever releasing a traditional console again after 2 of their last 3 consoles have stunk it up and the audience for the one that was successful (Wii) is gone. 

Gamecube and wii were basically the same console except one was run 50% faster and had 64MB of DDR memory added so  Twilight Princess was basically the same game on both consoles except the controller. I personally prefered the gamecube version.

I hope Nintendo would have learnt it's lesson with wii u and come up with a competitive console in performance terms for its next console. Another weak console only capable of providing  an outlet for NIntendo and first party games would probably mean an end to Nintendo's home console division. Their next console needs to be designed around the best performing components they can source to  make a powerful console at a reasonable price.  For backwards compatibility use built in software emulation.

The Zelda U E3 demo  was not using wii u hardware and I've never seen anything on my wii u that comes close to indicating that level of power.  I sincerely doubt we will ever see a Zelda U that matches that demo.  If NIntendo did come out with a 2D Zelda U I think that would be one of the nails in the coffin of the wii u however good it is.

Guys, they've already mixed 2D and 3D perspectives in console Zelda.

Remember in Skyward Sword? The Fire Sanctuary? The digging mitts. Bam. Top-down perspective in 3D Zelda has already been done, and the world didn't end because of it, and the franchise wasn't ruined because of it.

Stop reading too much into and overreacting to every little statement Aonuma makes and let him make the damned game already.

Not sure what point you're making with the first part of your post.  Gamecube and Wii being very similar has no bearing on what I'm saying regarding Zelda U if the game is also being designed with accommodation of more powerful hardware in mind.  Think Tomb Raider on PS3 vs PS4 - very different architectures.  Clearly it wouldn't be a ground-up difference, but it could run at a higher resolution and fps with many more advanced effects turned on.  Very passable for a launch game on WiiU's successor. 

Regarding the bolded, care to provide a link?  The Zelda demo was running off of the little white box below it at E3 (not some PC Tower stashed away in the back) and was running in real time.  Whether or not that little white box is exactly what ended up in the final WiiU console would have to be confirmed by Nintendo (or devs) I suppose, but I've never heard anything to the contrary.

And although there's no guarantee that we'll actually get the equivalent of those graphics in Zelda U, history certainly provides confidence seeing as how all final 3D Zeldas have either met or exceeded their respective demo showings:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FZ_OA-ITDUk/UMtHx5cFc1I/AAAAAAAADIE/Ls0kZ7URz-E/s1600/Zelda+Wii+U+-+Nintendo+Blast.png

Top down is great for portables. Keep that and on home consoles just give us the Ocarina of time like zelda games.