HeroQuest - A Missed Opportunity

HeroQuest, like Dark Tower, represents a missed opportunity for me.  I remember seeing it as a youth but I never did buy it or even get a chance to play it.  Since then, I have seen a few tattered separate rule books and a few old boxes in various states of disrepair.  The prices for these items were not in my "let's take a look" range of purchases so I did not get them.  I wonder if I made a mistake?  Obviously people enjoy the game since the used copies I have seen got a lot of play due to their condition.  I also have a recurring desire to design a board game with many of the same elements.  Does anybody have any experience with this game?  I am always up for a good tale...