Le Super Gland, gland rayé de rouge et de jaune, l'objet qui transforme Mario en écureuil volant

Super Acorn: Flying Squirrel Mario glides onto Wii U

1382 words | Reading time : 6 minute(s)

ItemSuper AcornNew Super Mario Bros. U

Glide, cling to walls, spring back upward: the most graceful power in the whole series. Introduced in New Super Mario Bros. U on Wii U in 2012, the Super Acorn turns Mario into a flying squirrel. This guide covers the glide at the heart of the power, the upward boost, the wall cling, the P-Acorn variant and its near-unlimited flight, and its role as a living airborne platform in multiplayer.

In Mario's long gallery of transformations, few bet as heavily on grace as the Super Acorn (Super Gland in French). By biting into this little striped acorn, the plumber swaps his overalls for a flying squirrel suit and earns the power to glide over any chasm.

The star of New Super Mario Bros. U, this item does not rely on raw strength but on in-flight control. It gives rise to the form known as Flying Squirrel Mario, one of the easiest to handle in the whole game when it comes to taming aerial platforming.

Contents

An acorn like no other

The Super Acorn makes its grand debut in New Super Mario Bros. U, released on Wii U in 2012. It immediately establishes itself as the signature power-up of that game, much like the Fire Flower in the older games.

Looks-wise, the item hardly goes unnoticed: it is an acorn striped in red and yellow, capped like a mushroom, with a little black-eyed face printed on its underside. That rounded design sets it apart from the other power-ups at a single glance.

The moment a character grabs it, they slip into a flying squirrel suit complete with big ears, a bushy tail and skin membranes stretched between the arms and the body. The silhouette is inspired by the northern flying squirrel, the animal that glides from tree to tree in the wild.

The glide, heart of the power

The flagship ability of Flying Squirrel Mario is still the glide. By holding the jump button once airborne, the character slows their fall dramatically and drifts gently forward, as if carried by a current of air.

This is not free flight the way the cape works: the glide mainly serves to extend the reach of a jump. You use it to clear wide chasms, reach a distant platform or correct a trajectory that would otherwise end in the void.

This gliding flight also allows for wonderfully soft landings. Vertical exploration becomes far more forgiving, and the transformation happily excuses small mistakes in the timing or the strength of your jumps.

A New Super Mario Bros. U level dominated by a giant tree, home turf of the Super Acorn
The glide slows the fall and stretches every jump: that is the whole power.

Upward boost and wall clinging

On top of the simple glide comes an upward boost, which you can picture as a "squirrel jump". With a brief shake in mid-air, the character gains a sudden burst of altitude, perfect for saving yourself at the last second or aiming for a higher ledge.

That vertical helping hand does come with a limit, though: it only triggers once per trip through the air, as long as Mario has not touched the ground again. Better to pick your moment carefully than to waste it right after take-off.

Finally, the suit offers a third asset: the ability to cling briefly to walls, blocks and vertical Warp Pipes. The character hangs on for a few seconds before slowly sliding down, just long enough to catch their breath or set off in another direction.

The P-Acorn, near-unlimited flight

The Super Acorn has an even more generous big brother: the P-Acorn (Gland P in French). You can spot it by its grey and white stripes and by the "P" emblem painted on its cap.

Its promise? Near-unlimited flight. Where the standard acorn limits the upward boost to a single use, the P-Acorn lets you repeat it endlessly for a whole level, turning the hero into a tireless glider.

This deluxe power stays very fragile , though: the slightest hit taken, a life lost or another item picked up makes it vanish on the spot. Best to steer clear of enemies while you are enjoying it.

In New Super Mario Bros. U, you mainly get it by catching Nabbit (Carottin in French), then bringing his bag back to a Toad, who hands over a P-Acorn as a reward.

A role built for aerial platforming

In the game's wider economy, the Super Acorn plays the part of the house aerial power-up, a job once handled by the Propeller Mushroom from New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

The two items actually coexist in New Super Mario Bros. U, but with opposite philosophies: where the mushroom shoots you straight up into the sky, the acorn favours controlled horizontal flight, slower but far more precise.

Plenty of levels build their secret passages and long crossings around that controlled glide. The Super Acorn then becomes as much a tool for progress as an ally for tracking down the Star Coins hidden up high.

The Super Acorn's return appearances

After its debut on Wii U, the Super Acorn signs up again in New Super Luigi U (2013), the alternative adventure built entirely around the green brother and his twitchy jumps.

It resurfaces in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, the port released on Nintendo Switch in 2019, which brings both campaigns together in a single game and gives the glide a fresh coat of paint.

Over the years, the Flying Squirrel Mario form has spread beyond its home games, slipping a few appearances into spin-off titles — proof that this gliding power left its mark.

The Super Acorn at a glance

French name Super Gland
English name Super Acorn
Transformation Flying Squirrel Mario
First appearance New Super Mario Bros. U (Wii U, 2012)
Type Item / gliding power-up
Abilities Gliding, upward boost, wall clinging
Upgraded variant P-Acorn (Gland P), near-unlimited flight
Other appearances New Super Luigi U (2013), NSMBU Deluxe (Switch, 2019)

🍄 Want to keep the adventure going? Discover our Mario toys in the shop.

FAQ

  • What is the Super Acorn in Mario?
    It is an item from New Super Mario Bros. U that turns the character into Flying Squirrel Mario, a form able to glide, gain a little altitude and cling to walls for a moment.
  • Which game does the Super Acorn first appear in?
    It debuts in New Super Mario Bros. U, released on Wii U in 2012, where it plays the part of the star power-up.
  • What is the difference between the Super Acorn and the P-Acorn?
    The Super Acorn allows only one upward boost per jump, while the P-Acorn offers near-unlimited flight across the whole level, until you take a hit.
  • How do you get the P-Acorn?
    In New Super Mario Bros. U, you mainly get it by catching Nabbit (Carottin in French) and bringing his bag back to a Toad, who hands it over as a reward.
  • Does the Super Acorn come back on Nintendo Switch?
    Yes, it reappears in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, released on Switch in 2019, which bundles New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U together.
↑ Back to top
Back to blog