After decades spent as mere video game icons, two pixelated heroes have finally ascended to the pantheon of pop culture gods, immortalized as giant inflatable effigies in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
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That’s right, video game lovers: This year, old-school arcade favorite Pac-Man and classic 8-bit hero Mario traded their joysticks and controllers for guide ropes as they took flight for the first time in the beloved parade.
If you’re over 40, chances are you spent hours dodging Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde in a dark arcade. Pac-Man, born in 1980 thanks to Toru Iwatani, taught us all that eating dots and avoiding ghosts was the ultimate life skill.
This isn’t Pac-Man’s first Macy’s parade rodeo, though. He made his ground-level debut back in 1982 alongside his better half, Ms. Pac-Man. The power couple returned in 1983, this time with their little pellet, Baby Pac-Man, in tow.
Now behold the video game icon in all of his Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon glory!
The new Pac-Man balloon isn’t just a blast from the past—it’s massive. The pellet gobbler stands over 37 feet tall and 39 feet wide, per USA Today.
Mario Made His Video Game Debut Just a Year After Pac-Man
Meanwhile, Mario made his video game debut just a year after Pac-Man as the hero in 1981’s arcade classic, Donkey Kong.
However, Mario wasn’t always Mario. In the original Japanese Donkey Kong release, he was unnamed and called “Jumpman” in English. It wasn’t until 1983’s Mario Bros. that he got his iconic name. Then, in 1985, Super Mario Bros. launched, kicking off the legendary franchise we know today.
Despite possibly being the most recognizable video game character in history, our favorite heroic plumber had never appeared as a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
That all changed last October, when it was announced that Mario would finally make his debut as a giant helium balloon. His appearance celebrates the 40th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros. It also marks the upcoming release of Illumination’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in spring 2026.
The balloon features Mario with his arms outstretched, soaring down the parade route in a pose reminiscent of Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy—ready to protect New York from Bowser.
Seeing these two video game icons take flight together at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was a real treat.