Arcades have always been a place for social interaction. But when video games became mostly home-bound and arcades dwindling away, the joy of beating your friend's virtual fighter to a pulp with your own virtual fighter was lost for many.

Enter fighting game tournaments.

At Yestercades, the Mortal Kombat Network recently hosted a Mortal Kombat 9 tournament, handing out cash prizes to the top fighters among the nearly 40 who participated in the event, new to Red Bank. Organizers of the event, longtime gamers themselves, said playing live with other people is something that can't be duplicated by online play. With tournaments like theirs signaling the change, video games are now returning to public forums after a lengthy hiatus.

Check out the MK Network's website at www.ultimatemk.com.