Online hype might've been less, yes. However, Twilight Princess was the only launch game worth getting on a system that was selling out. To think it wouldn't have sold a lot with less realistic graphics (even OoT's style would be less realistic) is to be deceptive. To be honest, Zelda U to me looks very analagous to OoT/MM. A naturalistic setting with more stylized characters. As for whether or not it will be a huge departure from the rest of the 3d series, I think it is quite clear by what we have seen, that there is some truth to Aonuma's words. Also, Miyamoto mentioned how they are taking what they did in A Link Between Worlds and extending it even more with how the dungeon system will work. They both have repeatingly cited TLoZ when asked about the world. A 3D Zelda with Zelda I's seamlessness is certainly a departure from the current 3D hub-world/corrider combination.

All my favourite Zeldas have all been Aonuma's with the exception of OOT so it's an easy choice. Even my favourite pre Aonuma Zelda (Links Awakening) didn't really have much Miyamoto involvement.

Not taking away Miyamoto 's work and achievements. I have fond memories of his games too and he started the series. But the quirky character and charm you find oozing out of modern Zelda games seems to be an Aonuma thing.

I don't think it is. I really doubt that you could jump off your Horse and kill an enemy like that, It's too cinematic for actually gameplay.

Even if that's true, that wouldn't mean his games are better by default. Everything has room for improvement.

Both men have been great for the franchise. Miyamoto, obviously, because he invented Zelda and and produced and/or directed many of the series' best games. Aonuma, also, because he built upon Miyamoto's work and produced and/or directed many of the series' best games.

I think both Miyamoto and Aonuma deserve a huge amount of credit and praise for keeping the series interesting, relevant, and joyful to play for almost 30 years.

This shouldn't even be a question. Miyamoto.
Link to the Past /Ocarina of Time are pretty universally both regarded as the best Zelda's of all time.

All other Zelda's have been 'good' but not 'great'.

Miyamoto has been on and of with Zelda...since the very beginning. You have to destinguish between directing and producing when you talk about "who made" the game.

Directors are far more directly involved than producers in the creation of a game.

Miyamoto directed 2 Zelda games: The first one and Ocarina of Time and served as the producer of the series till Phantom Hourglass when Aonuma took over.

And Yoshiaki Koizumi (the previous-director of the 3D Mario series and now it´s producer) was heavily involved in MM´s story too.

There were some cinematic gaemplay segments in Twilight Princess. Particularly the horse-fights. They might extend upon that in this game, but that is pure speculation on my part. It would go very well with the rest of what we know about the game though. 

What are you even talking about? 3D land sold amazingly, and its still selling. How is that bad? A "true" successor would not have changed anyone's mind. People who were on the fence have already decided that Nintendo is bad. Its the cool thing right now, and changing the artstyle of a game or making a mario game one way or the other will not change a thing.

Sony does a good job with a wide range of exclusives, trying to give every gamer what they want, but most of their exlusives sell badly. The last of us, the "best game ever made", only sold 4.63M units. Top ten games of the PS3 are GTA, COD and sports games. If the Wii U wants to hit the masses, those kinds of games are what they need, NOT your idea of a "proper" Mario game or the "correct" art style for a Zelda game.

SS and TP sales were influenced by so many factors and that argument is really old. It was NOT the artstyle. The artstyle alone has never translated directly into sales for a Zelda game. And guess what... Artstyle alone has never translated into actuall game quality either. Be glad that Nintendo is making the game they want to make, and not Modern Zelda Warfare 15: Combat Evolved (because that would be the real killer app that the Wii U needs, right?)

*sigh* I am barking way too much.

This is about Zelda though, not Nintendo, and Aonuma made Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess, my personal favorite games in the franchise.