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.

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-

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