With Zelda:TWW, it wasn't really Nintendo that spread the hype, but crazed game reviewers and industry 'experts' that didn't want to point out the fact that it really is aimed at young'uns. I played through the entire game without dying once, in fact, the only thing I've died to in the game is a pig that I turned hostile.
That said, it does play really, really well, and I'm looking forward to the engine in the next one, which won't be so easy