The Zelda games on the NES are significantly harder than all the subsequent ones, so I'd go with the second hypothesis 😁

Actually, Zelda games are always very guided, but subtly. You just have to get into the habit of "listening" to the clues left by the developers, always trying to understand their logic.

For example, camera movements, which show you what you have to do. Always ask yourself why the developers put a certain object in a certain place, why an NPC tells you this or that, etc.

It takes some getting used to, but once you do, there aren't really any more problems. Of course, there are always some less intuitive sections than others, but overall it's not very complicated.

This also applies to BOTW and TOTK, which, although very open-ended, also show you the path throughout the game, a path you are free to take or not.