P-Meter

The Power Meter, sometimes shortened to P-Meter, is a type of meter first seen in Super Mario Bros. 3. For it to fill up, Mario or Luigi must keep running without stopping. Once the Power Meter is fully charged and the "P" icon starts flashing, Mario can run at full speed. However, the Power Meter will always empty itself after a while, regardless of Mario's current state. If Mario is Raccoon Mario or Tanooki Mario, he will also have the ability to fly if the Power Meter is full, but only for a short period of time. Once the Power Meter empties, Mario stops flying and descends. If Mario uses a P-Wing before entering a level, the Power Meter is full for the rest of the stage or until Mario touches an enemy, grabs a non-flight-based power-up, or loses a life, meaning Mario can fly for an unlimited amount of time.

In the Super Mario All-Stars and Game Boy Advance versions of Super Mario Bros. 3, instead of its original black and white appearance, the Power Meter is colored orange when filled up, and the "P" icon flashes red. In the latter port, the Power Meter stays full if Mario keeps running, meaning that Mario can extend his flight time by landing and taking off again while the "P" icon flashes. It can also be halved by the Cyan Switch.

The Power Meter returns in New Super Mario Bros. 2, only appearing when Mario is Raccoon Mario (or White Raccoon Mario), with a few changes. The "P" icon is replaced by a P-Wing icon (which flashes golden), the meter itself is colored red when filled up, and the meter gradually empties as Mario keeps flying, unlike in Super Mario Bros. 3, where the meter remains full until Mario stops flying. Aesthetics aside, the Power Meter works the same as it did in Super Mario Advance 4, though the White Raccoon form makes it charge faster.

The Power Meter returns in Super Mario Maker, but it only appears in the Super Mario Bros. 3 theme.