Hey Martin, you're exactly the kind of person I had in mind when I started my blog on C64 emulation many months ago. Glad to have you in the C64 fold!
I did a write-up of "first C64 games" that are easy to get into, so here's the text of it (below). If you want screenshots and links to the game files, go to the URL at the bottom for the original blog post.
While these are not the "best" (or, my "favorite") games the C64 had to offer, they are easy to get into, and I've test played them to make sure they aren't frustrating or unintuitive to play. (We put up with a lot of frustrating games way back when just because that's the way it was - maybe they had cool music like Cauldron II, but impossible gameplay - but no need to mess with them with thousands of C64 games to choose from out there)
Also, I focus on games that hold up well today and offer something unique. While I loved Way of the Exploding Fist, for example, I'm not sure it holds up well when you can grab an emulator and ROM of Street Fighter. It WAS a killer game back when it was introduced, though.
M.U.L.E. (as mentioned above) is a great example of a good game that was great then and still offers unique gameplay today. I did a writeup of that one here:
http://c64walkabout.com/2008/09/02/mule ... dream.aspx
Also, if you have ANY trouble getting things to work right with your emulation, try this simple walkthru I wrote up on using VICE with Windows:
http://c64walkabout.com/2008/12/03/step ... -a-pc.aspx
Good luck and good gaming!
Blueprint
The concept of this early (1983) C64 game is simple, but the gameplay is smooth, addictive and challenging! The player "J.J." needs to go into each of the small houses and obtain a part for a machine that is assembled at the bottom of the screen. There are obstacles to this, however, including the fact that some houses contain bombs, not parts, and those bombs must be tossed into the "bomb pit" at the lower right of the screen. All the while, a monster is chasing your girl at the top of the screen, getting closer by the second. You can hold down the fire button for brief spurts of speed. Once the machine is assembled, hit the "start" button and use it to shoot the baddy! Don't think it will be so easy, though, other tricks and traps await!
CJ
CJ is a much newer game, and a typical platform scroller type that most modern gamers will instantly pick up. Shoot from CJ's trunk with the fire button, and hurl little pumpkin looking bombs by pulling down on the joystick/gamepad. It's a fun game, with some of the hardest parts right near the start, including a tricky downwards diagonal jump over water that may take you a couple of tries to get the hang of. It's worth playing as far along as you can, the game is detailed and rewarding.
Dizzy - Prince of the Yolkfolk!
The Dizzy series was long-running and very popular in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. At first glance Dizzy - Prince of the Yolkfolk! appears to be a platformer like CJ, but is actually deeper than that. An inventory system that is easy to manage, objects that can be used, and puzzles to be solved by "talking" to various characters throughout the game make it much more than just a platform game. At the same time, skill at jumping and navigating your way through many screens of physical challenges stops the game from becoming a dull item quest. Of all of the games in this list, this Dizzy game may prove to be the "hook" that gets a new player interested in C64 gaming. I chose this particular game having never played it until screening it for this list. It proved to be more intuitive and easier to play than some of the other earlier Dizzy games. And for people who enjoy this one, there are many more! A tip: pick up and use the items in the first room you're trapped in to burn down the door.
Mayhem in Monsterland
This game is one of the slickest action games I've seen on the Commodore 64, period. Released a full decade after the C64 was introduced, it is a great example of how games improved over the years and how programmers learned to squeeze the full power out of the 64 kilobytes through creative coding (something of a lost art on the PC today, where games demand better and better hardware every year).
Gameplay is essentially like Super Mario World.
Note: The file may start with a prompt for "Intro or Game" so remember to hit the first letter on your keyboard when prompted like this if you have a "cracked" version, hit "G" to start the game.
Omidar
Omidar is a remake of an early 1980's game called Amidar. Many clones of this game appeared over the years, but Omidar is one of the better ones. The main character, an ape (or a paint roller), must collect "coconuts" while clearing sections of the screen in rectangles. Whenever a rectangular portion of the board is cleared (either by collecting all surrounding coconuts, or painting all surrounding edges), the rectangle is colored in, and bonus points are awarded. Clear the entire screen, and you can move on to the next level. There is an addictive quality to this game similar to Pac Man and Qix.
PP Digger
One of the very common types of games made for the Commodore 64, perhaps due to the relative ease of programming them, were puzzle games like Boulder Dash. In these games, the player must "dig" around the screen and can only exit after collecting all of the "diamonds" in the game. That sounds much easier than it actually is, since the diamonds are surrounded by boulders that fall if you dig around or under them. It is possible to dig in such a way that the boulders make it impossible to exit, even if you have all of the diamonds. PP Digger is different in that you have moving enemies, like ghosts, who wait for you to set them free in your Diamond quest. Drop boulders onto them strategically, but be careful where you drop them!
Smash Out
Smash Out is like air hockey, or Pong, but with nice graphics and interesting little twists thrown in to boost the gameplay fun. This is a game where you can either play against the computer, or pick up 2 game pads and challenge your friend. Might be a good way to "break the ice" and toss an unknowing friend into the world of C64 gaming! Later you can challenge him or her to a game of Archon...
Zynaps
Zynaps is a left to right scrolling shoot-em-up game. Destroy all of the enemies in a group, and pick up a bonus. Avoid hitting walls, dodge enemy attacks, and get to the end of each level. If you've ever played "R-Type" you'll be familiar with the often challenging, but simplistic gameplay.
http://c64walkabout.com/2008/07/11/introdcing-3.aspx
Grr hate Ireland for this sort of thing