Fake difficulty is a nightmare nowadays.
Umm, hell naw for Galaxy being comically easy. The challenging ones are the ones you’re not required to get (i.e. after 60).
Mario Kart Wii is easier in terms of AI, but it takes a lot more skill when playing other people. I know a guy who will lap you easily without using a single item.
A big issue is that we were younger when earlier games came out. Ocarina of Time was hard as hell when I was 10. Couldn’t get past the first dungeon. I went back and tried again 5 years later and had no problem.
I don’t think the average game’s difficulty has changed too much; it’s just the hellishly mean games that aren’t being made any more (Battletoads, Ghouls and Goblins, etc.). There are still hard games like Trauma Center, Fire Emblem, and Ninja Gaiden, but it’s actually possible to beat them.