Handheld Wars Week 50 - PAC-MAN

Easily the worst on Game Boy, it's the only version I'd recommend against getting.
The main issue being the lack of color which throws all strategy with the otherwise differently colored ghosts out the window and sadly replaces it with nothing, they could've made the sprites slightly different but instead they're all visually identical and their behaviour is seemingly erratic and unpredictable as a result, making it a more shallow and ultimately luck-based experience more than one about skill and experience.
The visuals are also inverted from normal, with a light background and dark details, so even when you colorize it on a Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance or other similar device, the only color scheme that makes it look okay is the inverted one (B+Right), but it comes at a price, Pac-Man's color inverts as well and he turns blue. It also doesn't add different colors to the ghosts, so while they get a splash of paint they all still share the same color, so sadly it doesn't fix that inherent problem.
It's still a playable version but it's easily a step below most versions of Pac-Man, especially the four being compared here, as far as the lack of color problem and unfaithful visual presentation to the original I'd say it even borderlines on being as bad as the infamous old Atari port, though it thankfully manages to at least be better in most other ways, so it's not quite that bad overall.

The Game Boy Color version fixes virtually all the problems of the older Game Boy version and even throws in a bonus game, Pac-Panic, to sweeten the deal.
The downside of course is that alongside the Neo Geo Pocket Color version it was a much later release than the other two, so back in the day it simply wasn't available. It's a good version and I'd recommend it. It earns a well deserved second place.

The Gage Gear version excels in every way and it's easily my pick for the win. It was out alongside the original Game Boy version, it had the colors and it has the backlit screen.
There really is no downside to it, it's just an excellent version. It's like an arcade machine in the palm of your hands. Hands down the best original portable port of Pac-Man.

The Neo Geo Pocket Color version is pretty much identical in-game to the Game Boy Color and Game Gear versions, but just like the Game Boy Color version it came out much later than the original Game Boy and Game Gear versions, and unlike the Game Boy Color version it's far more rare and expensive to get hold of as the Neo Geo Pocket like of portables failed pretty hard and were discontinued fairly quickly and it lacks the Pac-Panic bonus game, so the overall deal with this one isn't anywhere near as sweet. I place it on a rather distant third place.