It's not complicated.I'm sure the game is great in it's own right, but I think it's a bit odd to suggest Sega went for the jugular when pretty much nobody ever mentions this game anymore, whereas everyone know ALTTP.
Zelda a Link to the Past was already the third entry of a famous franchise produced by the absolute leader of previous gen.
In addition, through history, Sega released too many games they didn't marketed that much.
Every generation, Nintendo offers a Fire Emblem, Sega gives Shining Force, Dragon Force, Sakura Wars, Valkyria Chronicles. Sega splits its fanbase. Some franchises are forgotten.
All these reasons explain why a game like LTTP is famous and not Crusader.