Some reviewers were mixed on the strengths and weaknesses of the game. While Jeff Hurlburt for SoftSide Magazine found the game to be "an attractive, slickly presented game", he also stated "experienced arcade players may be disappointed", noting the "implementation of the stargate weapon leaves much to be desired. Movement control is very sluggish. The stargate responds as though attached to the paddle with a set of rubber bands." Negative reviews felt the game was unfairly designed. George Kopp of Electronic Fun stated Pentapus was a "difficult shoot 'em up, but unlike other shoot 'em ups like Centipede, the difficulty lies in faults of design, not gameplay". The Book of Apple Software critiqued the fairness of the game's combat, stating "conceptually it is flawed, for the player's cannon is never safe during the attack. It appears that survival is more a matter of luck than skill."
