They are not only catching up but also improving.

And to say this looks like a basic Zelda is just crazy, this game breaks almost every convention in the saga, there has never been a less common or basic Zelda than this.

While a lot of its new features aren't world firsts by any means, I still feel that the thoughtful and creative way that they're implemented and woven together really creates a refreshing and novel evolution of the series. We may have seen some of these things before, but never quite like this.

Sorry if it has been discussed before, but were traditional dungeons confirmed or even teased?

I heard that Aonuma said the NX version would be graphically superior, so if I do choose NX as my next console next year then I'll be getting that version even though it means I'll have to wait. Supermetaldave brought up some great points on how the NX version would look better, and for a game like this I feel that's kinda important.

I don't think so actually, but it's safe to assume they exist.

Aonuma said there are dungeons, and they are not like the shrines, so I guess they are mpre traditional, they didn't show them though.

I agree.  A lot of the new features feel like there was definite thought put into them and weren't implemented just to fill some kind of arbitrary checklist on what should be in an open-world game like a lot of developers are guilty of doing.

I decided to watch some gameplay trailer on my nicer TV screen and it outputs really well on a 1080p screen. I hope this doesn't take until holiday 2017.

Also I'm starting to think the master sword may be damaged and will use all those tools made from the robots in the shrine to repair it for temporary use. This way the master sword will have a durability just like the other weapons and to encourage us to keep using weapons we see throughout the game.

I also think we will have a powerful bow just like the master sword and possibly called the Hero Bow and a powerful shield like the Hylian or Mirror shield with the same durability system as the Master Sword I mentioned earlier. The Hero tunic could be one important item as well.

Finally I hope gamexplain got the four main dungeon mixed up with the amount shrines needed to be complete for the paraglider. Even though the great plateau didn't have a dungeon, it doesn't mean the entire map that is 98% of the world wilk only have room for 4 dungeons. It also would be funny if those robot tools may be used later to create our own guardian transportation to travel and climb the world more easily and quicker.

Well I hope you don't include Aonuma and Sakurai (I know he technically doesn't work for Nintendo but you know what I mean :P) in that old guard since they clearly haven't lost their touch.  I do think Miyamoto withdrawing to a more hands-off management/oversight position is for the best.  He's clearly not looking to create any more grandiose hallmark games.  Also, I think other games this gen show some good ideas Nintendo had but haven't pushed to their most extreme.  Hyrule Warriors was a brilliant mash up, Nintendo should do more.  Bayonetta 2 and Wonderful 101 were good partnership projects, they should do more of those.  And I think the Xenoblade series has shown immense potential and needs to be better promoted moving forward.  

But I think that Mario Kart 8 and Smash 4 show Nintendo can still make great games through iterative refinement and evolution.  I think a combination of that, reimagining, new IPs, partnerships, and pushing younger franchises are the areas they need to advance moving forward.

And that's kinda what I meant by Nintendo putting a spinn on it =) I love how integrated it all is! How the stamina meter is back, and used in such clever ways! It's not just a limiting factor to how long you can run fast, but also how many spinn atacks you can perform, and most importantly, how it restricts your climbing. Nintendo has put that meter to good use!

The same goes for hunting and eating to replentish your health, that's one of the most exciting things about this game for me!

Yeah, I also love how things like temperature are taken into account; it grows colder not only by region and by night, but also with elevation, and you can address it by dressing warmly or by consuming hot/spicy food/drink. (Presumably the opposite applies to hot areas like the desert at midday)

Honestly, I could rant on and on about how many of the little details and nuances in Breath of the Wild I just adore. This is how I wanted 8th gen games to be; less about more pixels and flashier shaders, and more about how much you can do within the world; extensive interactivity with the environment, seamless exploration, etc.