
I've had that feeling of arcade games not looking or sounding quite as good as I remember them in a few cases. Nintendo's games tend to hold up pretty well in that regard, as they were among the best in class to begin with. Part of it, I think, is because of how primitive the 2600 and Intellivision were compared to the arcade. Doesn't stop me from loving those games, as I have a great many of the Arcade Archives releases on PS4 and Switch. But the arcade version of Contra, as seen on the Contra Anniversary Collection, is a bit jarring.
I remember Ninja Gaiden for its opening cut scene, its game over scene (where Ryu has a buzz saw coming towards his chest unless you stick another quarter in), and the breakabld objects in the environment, which were a bit of a novelty at the time.