I am gonna totally beat this thread to death, I keep remembering awesome games I used to play when I was kid and my list keeps growing, and growing...So many good memories.
Here are a few more that I remember...
Simant was such a beautiful and complex game, and you seriously learned so much, I was completely transfixed by ants for years after this, even eating them for food while camping sometimes.
Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego? I found her and her henchmen so many times. It was awesome I still have the map, Fodor's travel book that came with the game. Also very educational as well.
SimCity, hands down coolest game and consumed so many of my man hours dealing with natural disasters, contrusting enough police stations to deal with crime, mmmmm and good old power shortages w/ pollution.
And before I go back to work I have to say two more 7th Guest and 11th Hour, I loved them both they were scary and I beat 'em but only after walking through them with my friend over the phone for hours, and hours, doing the same exact thing trying to solve the puzzles, we would have our parents drive us to the other's house so we could solve the puzzles together in person if they complained about taking up the phone lines. Lovely games both of them.