I know it's not a PC game, but I thought that this would be the best place for me to ask about this game.
I want to know if indeed I have missed out on one of gaming's jewels, and if I should get my mits on a N64 emu right away and play the sucker 11 years later.

They ported it to the WII and Gamecube... and yes it was without question the most innovative games that existed in its time. Really good memories associated with the game, and the most unforgettable moments in my gaming lifetime.

It is, even 11 years after it's release, my favourite game of the Legend of Zelda series.
But downloading ROMs is not legal btw...

It's a very good game. Go for it. Personally, my second favorite Zelda game.

It's a blast. Along with Mario 64, StarFox 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, it was one of the first games I ever owned. It may not be one of the best games of all time, but... well, I think it is, personally. It certainly warrants a try. I don't want to ruin anything for you - you should just give it a shot. One of the things that is great about it is that the graphics are nearly timeless. It wasn't like some of the PS1 games where you couldn't tell what things were.

It was a fun game, but I prefer Majora's Mask over this one. Then again, the music stuck to me like a glue to a fly.

Who said anything about downloading? I'm going to borrow it from a friend of a friend of a friend who knows a guy whose mother had a secret boyfriend whose sole living relative is a distant cousin who actually laid eyes on a physical manifestation of this game.
Actually I wasn't that worried about graphics at all. I'm more concerned about the gameplay, being 11 years old (true, that's nothing compared to even older games that have yet superior gameplay, but still).
Some games, even though critics loved them then and many gamers still do now, having a good dose of nostalgia added to the mix, have archaic gameplay and issues that make them more frustrating than fun to someone who pokes their nose at them much later.

Hehe, I still have my N64, all the games mentioned and then some. Thank GOD it works cause I can't figure out how to run a N64 emulator.

Most ROM sites recommend you at least owning an original copy of the game you're downloading....I'm not so sure about having the console too, but better safe than sorry, wot?

You'll have to let me know if Zelda suffers from those problems! I think the gameplay is definitely the best part of the game. The puzzle solving and combat are simple but very effective, and I wish there were more games like it today. I'd be pretty shocked if you had any important issues with its gameplay. I guess I'd understand anyone's complaints with the jumping mechanic, but it works, and it's not very important to the game.

I always disliked Ocarina. With everyone raving over it, when I finally played it through start to finish, I was VERY underwhelmed. I STRONGLY prefer Majora's Mask. The game had a more mature storyline (The part at the tree at the end is VERY philosophical), much better gameplay mechanics, and the time gimmick was utilized fantastically. How anyone can put up with that god damned static-graphic town ala FF7 is beyond me. My favorite Zelda games, in order:
1) A Link to the Past
2) Majora's Mask
3) Link's Awakening
4) Link's Adventure

Meh. A Link to the Past is like a hundred times better.

Do you get your BIOS updates in the mail? ;)

DON'T LET THEM TRICK YOU!
the only notable thing is that it was a successful port of the Zelda type of game to 3D. You're not really missing out on anything, just keep playing ALTTP.