> I think I prefer the slightly less...uncanny character portraits in the EGA version.

I'd personally say the EGA portraits look far more uncanny, resembling early CGI, while the VGA version looks like a hand-drawn book illustration. https://youtu.be/86O3PxdLrg8?t=181 Still, opinions can differ.

> looking at it unfiltered on a modern display isn't really giving a great sense of the warm glow either version would've had on a CRT

That may be true, yes.