I remember the day when my junior high buddies and I finished our weekly Wednesday of all-you-can-eat Pizza Haven feast then strolled into the Villa Plaza to check out girls inside the Liberty House store. Suddenly girls took a back seat when sitting in the middle of the store was the debut of Pong. The store manager had to kick us out. Today, video-game competitions are serious business, with tens of thousands of dollars in prize money at stake, sponsorship deals and all the other trappings of a big-league sport. But there was a time when video games were much simpler - and probably a lot more fun, too. The Tacoma Public Library wants my generation to relive those good times. It's hosting a Retro Video Gaming for Grownups night, erecting Atari, Nintendo Entertainment System, PS1 and Gamecube systems. Who's up for some Missile Command? Oh joystick! 

RETRO VIDEO GAMING FOR GROWNUPS, 5-7 p.m., Tacoma Public Library Main Branch, 1102 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, free admission, 253.292.2001