I remember having MPC when it was worse than VLC, but I guess that changed now. However, I'm VERY surprised that
Fist of the North Star hasn't been mentioned yet. It's an absolute classic!
Anyways, I can recommend just one VN for the uninitiated, even if it's not for everyone:
Katawa Shoujo. Started from the ground up by a team of developers that organized on 4chan (of all places) using concept art from another VN, this one garnered a TON of hype when it came out last month after 5 years in the making.
The gist of the storyline is that your character gets diagnosed with arrhythmia after having a heart attack and ends up in a school for the physically disabled. A lot of people went into it thinking "hurr durr time to fuck cripple chicks" (including myself), but nope, not even close.
For a homebrew game, it's VERY well written, the art is well done (see my display pic for a sample, she's one of the characters/potential GFs), and even the H-Scenes are surprisingly tasteful. The emotions this VN provokes has changed peoples' outlooks on life after I checked out 4chan threads regarding the VN, and it has caused me personally to start getting myself in order a bit, so I started morning runs and eating better. Best of all, it's 100% free to download, so there's no messing around with translation patches, etc. Definitely recommend if anyone wants a break from anime since it does have a mix of comedy and drama.