Video games are not just for kids anymore. Head out to Gameworks or Jillian's — two Valley entertainment wonderlands — on any given night and you'll find people of all ages playing everything from skee-ball to car racing games to good, old-fashioned Pac-man.

“My daughter loves Gameworks,’’ says Tara Wildermuth, 40, of Tempe, motioning to her 10-year-old daughter Jennifer, who is trying to keep up with the fast-paced rhythm of Dance Dance Revolution at the popular Arizona Mills hangout. “This is her favorite game. I can't keep her off it.’’
When asked if she ever plays the dance game, Wildermuth laughs. “Yes, Jennifer likes to watch her Mom look silly...I'm more of a skee-ball person myself.’’

Like Wildermuth, 18-year-old Christina Porter is also a fan of skee- ball. Porter says she likes its simplicity.

“It's not one of those games where you have to think too hard,’’ she says. “I've been playing (skee-ball) since I was a little girl and I'm still not very good, but I like to play.’’

In addition to dancing and skee-ball, Gameworks offers basketball games, a football toss and fighting games like Mortal Combat and Street Fighter. They also offer an upstairs restaurant and bar, where you'll find more of a twenty- to thirtysomething crowd eating pizza, sandwiches and chicken tenders.

Blair Stevens, sipping a vibrant blue cocktail and sharing an order of spinach and artichoke dip with a table of friends, says that her posse didn't last long downstairs.

“We played a few games, but it was too busy,’’ Stevens, 24, of Tempe, says. “We got tired of waiting for the kids to get off the games we wanted to play so we decided it was time for a drink. We're hoping it'll empty out when we're done eating.’’

The scene at Jillian's isn't much different on a Sunday night. The 64,000-square-foot megaplex at Desert Ridge in the northeast Valley is jumping. People play everything from air hockey to video fighting games to crane machines.

In addition to dozens of arcade games, Jillian's also features a Mongollian grill, a billiards lounge, a 14-lane bowling alley and a dance club.

“You could easily spend a night here,’’ Ethan Potter, 26, of Scottsdale, says. “There is so much to do. It's hard to get bored.’’

Details
Gameworks at Arizona Mills Mall, 5000 Arizona Mills Circle, Tempe
Info: and www.gameworks.com
Deals: The arcade offers half-off video game play all day Sunday, excluding photo and prize games.
Top 5 games: The Big One (a stuffed animal filled crane machine), Big Win Super Spin (a game where you can score a lot of tickets depending on where the arrow stops), Free Throw Challenge (basketball), The Indie 500 (a six-player car game) and Vertical Reality (people try to pop their competitors' balloon as they're suspended in the air).

Jillian's at Desert Ridge, 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix
Info: and www.jillians.com
Deals: Jillian's hosts family night Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For $5, you'll receive a complimentary kids meal and bowling game or a free kids meal and $10 gamecard.
Top 5 games: Derby Owners Club (horse racing game), Pump it up (dance game), Artic Thunder (jet ski game), Waverunner GT and Tower of Power (prize game).