> the problem is the main differences I see are that the arcade captures are a bit > blurrier (from a CRT) and seem to all be overly dark with a green tint on everything > that isn't bright while the other colours look washed out, like the display is > broken... Is this really an effect, or a faulty monitor / PCB?
I have to agree - the major difference isn't effects, it's monitor gamma. Additionally, the monitor the arcade footage is from has its green gun overbiased, making everything a sickly green. MAME's colors are more true-to-life; the dirt is actually brown instead of pea-soup, and so on.