Every game's normal mode isn't going to be the same as another game's normal mode....and the same goes for easy, hard, very hard, etc. Personally, I like to test myself from the very beginning, so I begin most games at the hardest most possible. Sometimes I beat the game, sometimes I don't, and when that happens, that's when I decide to just start a new game at an easier level. I find I appreciate the game more this way too. Otherwise, if I started the game on easy or normal without ever knowing what hard mode was like, I'll go through the game wondering "I wonder if I'm just wasting my time playing this mode, maybe I CAN handle harder modes..." cuz I don't wanna beat it on normal and have to go through it again on hard, I'm not that patient ;P
But ya, interesting topic, but also really subjective. To each his own.
