Happy Thanksgaming

Sonic, 1993

On June 23, 1991, Sega unleashed the first video game starring their new mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog. This has little to do with Thanksgiving and much to do with me failing the third grade, but it’s worth noting that Sonic was the first video game character that appeared as a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: the Blue Blur originally sailed over NYC in 1993. Sonic is also the first video game character that appeared as a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to crash into a building and squash several onlookers, but Sega doesn’t like talking about that part very much. At least it was less of a disaster than the 32X.

Not to be outdone by Sega, in 1994 – coinciding with the release of Super Metroid on the SNES – Nintendo introduced a balloon version of a Metroid which drained the energy from thousands of unsuspecting parade goers. The balloon’s fearsome, 100 foot tall teeth and horrendous, insatiable appetite injured 607 and killed 253, mostly children, outdoing the carnage dispensed the year before by Sega’s mascot by nearly 10,000 percent.

Note the screaming gentleman in the lower left corner.

Mario is cooler.

Okay, I might have gotten my facts mixed up on that last bit. However, a Nintendo character did eventually join the Blue Blur for everyone’s favorite Turkey Day tradition: Pokémon’s Pikachu first appeared over the heads of the spectators at the 2001 Macy’s Parade. Then in 2006, an upgraded version with light-up cheeks and a pokéball preceded good ol’ Saint Nick. Personally I would have chosen Super Mario, but I guess Pikachu is okay… if you like crappy games.

Happy Thanksgiving!