I found this wonderful mapping script (mapper.js) that I have used in the past. What's different about it is you can hover over the map or a link on your page to make the map area highlight. Sadly it's written in javascript and requires a lot of in-line coding in the HTML - I would love to see this script ported over to jQuery :P
Also, check out all the demos! I think this example could almost be made into a simple online game (without using flash) - make sure you click on the different camera angles.