While Kid Icarus: Uprising was showered with critical praise upon its release, there was still one nagging complaint: the controls. The odd combination of stylus-and-analog stick gameplay was one of the reasons why Nintendo had to bundle the game with a plastic support stand for the 3DS. It would enable players a "comfortable option for playing," suggesting (rightfully) that the game would be uncomfortable without it.

So why didn't Uprising offer a seemingly more sensible solution: support for dual-analog controls (via the Circle Pad Pro)? According to director Masahiro Sakurai, that would have been "impossible."

"Providing support for independent analog control was something that was technically impossible," he told IGN. His argument centers around the quick reaction speed necessary for the game--one that a style would better offer versus an analog stick. "If a player used to touchscreen-based aiming played against someone used to right-analog control, the first player would probably dominate. The speed is on a whole different level." Given online multiplayer is one of the game's selling points, Sakurai couldn't consider different control schemes. (It would be like a controller going against a keyboard and mouse, perhaps.)

What about people that complain about fatigue while playing the game? You're playing it wrong, Sakurai says. "If there are players who say that it makes their hand tired, that's because you're applying too much force. Try to relax and work on building a rhythm to your control. Place the pen in the middle of the touchscreen; when you're flicking it, take the pen off the screen as you're sweeping with it, and stop right there. That's the basic idea."