[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWEzxtIAm98[/youtube]
SEGA of America announced on Sonic’s 20th Birthday last week that their blue hedgehog will be making his inflatable return to the Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade this year in celebration of his 20th Anniversary. Sonic the Hedgehog was the first video game character to ever appear in the parade way back in 1993. This year Sonic will again be appearing in balloon form measuring approximately 48-feet tall, 60-feet long, and 26-feet wide.
The 85th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® takes place on Thursday November 24th and airs live in the U.S. nationwide on NBC-TV, from 9:00 am – Noon, in all time zones.
Check out the press release below:
SAN FRANCISCO, CA and NEW YORK, NY – June 23, 2011–A beloved blue blur is set to return to the skies of New York City, as SEGA® of America, Inc. today announces that Sonic the Hedgehog will fly once again at the 85th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®. On Thursday, November 24th, Sonic will defy gravity and soar as a giant helium balloon in the famed spectacular in celebration of his 20th Anniversary. A trailblazer from the start, Sonic in 1993, made his debut as the first-ever video game character to appear in the heralded march down the streets of Manhattan. Over the past 20 years, Sonic has evolved as one of gaming’s greatest icons, with his blue body and unforgettable spikes being recognized worldwide as a symbol of speed, adventure and fun.
On Thanksgiving, the Sonic balloon will sky rocket into the atmosphere with massive blue spikes, his signature white gloves and red shoes, shining in the sun. For his parade return, Sonic will measure approximately 48-feet tall, 60-feet long, and 26-feet wide, solidifying his presence, once again, as a historic character in the 2011 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade line-up.
“Sonic the Hedgehog was a Macy’s Parade trailblazer when he burst into the line-up, becoming the first-ever video game character to fly in our annual march,” said Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “Sonic continues to be a worldwide phenomenon and we are thrilled that this Thanksgiving his distinctive blue spikes will be seen zooming down the route once more, as part of his 20th birthday celebrations.”
“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a celebration of the most famous faces and characters in our culture, so it was a simple decision to bring Sonic back to the parade to celebrate his 20th anniversary in great company,” says Judy Gilbertson, Senior Brand Manager, SEGA of America. “It will be a thrill for Sonic fans young and old to see the balloon this Thanksgiving.”
Alongside his parade return, Sonic’s highly anticipated new title, Sonic Generations, will be released this holiday season,commemorating Sonic the Hedgehog’s 20thanniversary.
Sonic Generations features Sonic the Hedgehog playable as both the much loved classic 1991 character and the modern day video game hero he has become. In this exciting new fast paced adventure set across three defining eras from 20 years of Sonic the Hedgehog, you can now speed through some of the most iconic environments, playing as Classic Sonic in re-imagined 2D side scrolling levels and as Modern Sonic in all new, stunning 3D levels.Sonic Generations will be available this holiday season for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Nintendo 3DS™.
The 85th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs nationwide on NBC-TV, Thursday, November 24, 2011 from 9:00 am – Noon, in all time zones.
Source: SEGA of America’s website
Thanks to SSMB member XD375 for the heads up!
I’m going to have to pry myself out of bed this Thanksgiving.
Is it gonna be a new balloon, or are they gonna bring the old one back for a second trip?
They don’t say in the press release unfortunately.
Oh well. Surprises are good too.
This will be something to look out for.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_S5P-Zr4Qw&feature=related what REALLY happened in 1993 … hope that doesn’t happen again!
I’m gonna force myself out of bed that day even if I have to ROLL off it. I am not missing this for the WORLD. XD
YAY!!!! I just know I’m going to crawl out of my bed, turn the TV on, and probably fall asleep halfway through and then somehow miraculously wake up in time for the Sonic balloon, and fall asleep again.
Lamp Posts need not attend.
Then how can he save halfway down the street if he happens to lose all of his rings?
Answer that, smarty. ;P
You know what? If Sega chose to opt for a float instead of a balloon, they could’ve done that. At least a float representing Sonic’s 20th Anniversary with Mascot Characters of Modern and Classic Sonic, as well as Tails, Knuckles and Amy, and a Celebrity to boost the ratings.
Sonic is one of two gaming characters to have appeared in a Macy’s parade. The other is Pikachu.
Mario vs. Sonic = Sonic wins again!
indeed, He was also the first Video Game based balloon ever in a parade, as cited by the press release, so yeah…
Sonic FTW!! >.<
I wonder if they are going to use that Spinball Theme from Sonic Boom Soundtrack again?
Someone needs to record this! for the Archives! For History!!
A live stream too. ^_^
Finally! I bet we will be seeing the New-gen Sonic on the fourth Thursday of November
I used to watch the parade as a kid just to see Sonic and I was saddened when Sonic was taken off the parade. Now after how many years, I got a reason to watch it again.
Hmm, usually lampposts are a good thing.
The Sonic giant balloon is back as the 2nd verison, then the first Mario giant balloon is still coming up. Then I hopping for the giant balloons, floats, and even the welcoming of the companys’ old school characters is goint to be in the floats as a guests of honors. Since I ads for the 2012 Macy’s Thanksgiving Parades such as the robot soldier, Boilerplate, then the welcoming of “An American Tail”, “All Dogs go to Heaven”, and even the pirate Captain Crook from MacDonald’s MacDonaldland onboard the Jolly Polly pirate ship as Captain Crook was captain of the Jolly Polly pirate ship in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parades as grand marshel of the Jolly Polly pirate ship – when three pirate ships coming by was Captain Sabertooth and his crew in the pirate ship Dark Lady, Captain Hector Barbossa and his crew of the new pirate ship, and even Jean Lafitte and his crew, what Captain Crook and his crew, and the passengers such as the three mouse and Tiger the Cat, and even Charlie B. Barkin and Itchy Itchiford encounters in the pirate bay at Louisiana, then into the river of America to New Orleans as they encunter the Muppets in the steamboat, Mark Twain, and the crews of keelboaters of their keelboats and crews of the flat boats in the rivers.
Then the floats of Winter Wonderland Central Park with the statue of Balto the seld dog with Jack Frost, Old Man Winter, and even Balto and the dogs and his master Gunner Kaasen in 2012. Even the characters from Time Bandits movie are going to be in the 2012 Macy’s Thanksgivng Parades.
Hmm I don’t remember too much about the Sonic balloon I didn’t even know about the incident the parade had until I read it on the internet years later. But I’ll be seeing the parade as I always have, I know some may think I’m too old for that stuff, but to Me as you get older you can learn to appreciate the hard work and time and effort those people in the parade do so that they can entertain us every year, I haven’t missed the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for as long as I can remember and it will be no different this year.
OMG!!! I am a complete Sonic the Hedgehog fan! I can’t WAIT!!!! OMFG, this is going to be AWSEOME!!! Rock on, Sonic!