In Super Mario Bros. 3 the P-Meter appears in the bottom left corner of the screen at all times. As Mario or Luigi gains speed in a level by running, the meter fills up. When it is full the letter P flashes and Mario may fly for a short time if he has a raccoon or tanooki suit. If Mario enters a level with a P-Wing, the P-Meter will stay full and Mario will be able to fly infinitely until he gets hurt.
The P-Meter returns in New Super Mario Bros. 2, but only appears when Mario has the raccoon suit or white raccoon suit. When it is full, the P-Wing icon turns red indicating that Mario may fly. The P-Meter decreases during flight and once it empties Mario will no longer be able to fly. A separate P-Wing item is not available in this game and infinite flight is not possible.
The P-Meter drains when Mario is not running, but does not immediately empty. This allows Mario to achieve flight in areas where there is not enough room to reach top speed, by running back and forth to gradually build up the P-Meter.
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