My first exposure to Pac-Man was on the Atari 2600. I played it probably more than any other games on the console. I loved every minute of it. So it came to me as a surprise that it's not only the game's most hated port, but it's one of the most hated games period.
I didn't get to play the "real" Pac-Man until I was a bit older, and needless to say, I was pretty blown away by how much better it was. However, it didn't affect my taste of the original version I'd played.
Looking back at the 2600 version, I do get why it'd be so hated, especially if the arcade version was played first. However, anybody expecting that level of quality out of a 2600 would have to be delusional.
Anyway, I'm pretty confident in saying that despite being the most "inferior" version, it's still very iconic and fun.