Being a huge Pac-Man-o-holic I did download this NES version that was released on NA 3DS VC this past week. Not only do I own this very game for the NES already, I also downloaded the gameboy Pac-Man VC game and I also own the Pac-Man/Galaga Dimensions 3DS cartridge game and love it.

How does this version stack up to the rest? Well, it's in color, for starters, the controls are a little wonky as far as I'm concerned. Using the circle pad, sometimes Pac-Man doesn't turn the right way (is this just me or...?) Also, the screen is quite small. The thing I love about Pac-Man/Galaga Dimensions for 3DS is that the screens were huge, in 3-D, and took up the whole screen pretty much. These VC games just use the top screen and are quite small. On this version, you can really tell. The sound is okay, some of the blips and bleeps are very 8-bit and nothing like the original game sounds. If you want a version of Pac-Man in color, and you don't mind it being a Nintendo NES version of Pac-Man, then you might like this. I actually found that I preferred (of the two VC versions) the gameboy version a tiny bit more because the controls didn't seem as weird, and the screen is larger on the Gameboy Pac-Man VC release.

If you truly want a fully enjoyable Pac-Man experience, go ahead and opt for the Dimensions 3DS cartridge game. It's probably cheaper than the $40 newly released price that i paid for it, but it's worth every cent (if you already love Pac-Man you'll love it.) I would give this version of Pac-Man a 5/10 (the wonky controls and tiny game play screen, for starters), and I would give the black and white gameboy Pac-Man a 6/10. It's a tiny bit cheaper than this version, the game field view is larger and (to me anyway) it seems more immersive and fun than this Taito/NES version.

I have P&G and am on the fence about this... I don't use the stupid circle pad unless I have to, so will it be better on here to have it DL'd?

I own Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions and the original Pac-Man on there has leaderboards along with the other 5 games included. I was hoping P&G would get a eShop release but that probably won't happen with the release of the NES version.

Omg, you are so right. I forgot to mention that, but I guess I assumed people would know that who owned the game. It really is the best version of Pac Man to get (the only in all it's 3DS 3d glory) and it's totally worth $40 or whatever you pay for it new. Used might be a tiny bit less, but I also like having the original box cover art and manuals of games I know I'm going to really love. My review here was kind of for the eshop versions only, but a freak pac man lover has to have all 3 versions, not just one single one. Hah! Of the two eshop releases, I think the Gameboy (black and white) pac man version is the best because the other (newly released Taito/NES) version just slightly disappoints.

Tengen actually, not Taito. Tengen released the NES version in America in 1987 before Namco did an official American release in 1993.

Oh, I'm so glad I'm not the only one with this problem. I don't have PacMan but I run into this issue all the time, especially with platforming games on my 3DS. For some reason, the D-Pad works better for them....the Circle Pad, sometimes - as you mentioned, my character doesn't move in the direction I want him. Like, I'll push down and instead he'll go right (due to me not truly hitting the down direction).

Yeah, i'll occasionally have that problem on some games — it comes using an analog-style control in a game designed for digital input (the d-pad). Same thing will occasionally happen to me when playing some older/classic games on XBLA and using the analog stick.

EDIT:
@MrSRArter
The version released on VC is actually the 1993 Taito release, not the Tengen one (which was not licensed by Nintendo).

Pac-Man was made by Namco, not Taito. Taito made Space Invaders.

@MrSRArter Right, but I guess they sold a license to Taito back in 93, because Taito is the company on this newest VC re-release.

Namco made the NES version. They created the Famicom version in 1984, licensed it to Tengen who published it in 1987 for the NES (licensed by Nintendo) and again in 1990 (not licensed by Nintendo), then Namco rereleased the NES version in 1993. All the same code, just different copyrights. (so yes, the 1987 print is just as "official" as the 1993 print)
Taito was never involved with the game.

(however, MS. Pac-Man got different ports written by Tengen and Namco)