The following information comes from Nintendo Power's interview with Sakurai...



NP: It seems like a lot of ideas made it into the game, but were there any significant ideas that didn't make the cut?



MS: There were plenty. I might find a use for them somewhere, though, so I'll leave it at that. But to give you one example, there was going to be a casual arcade mode, where you could enjoy just the aerial battles with a stage-clear structure.



-development was difficult at times because since they were developing for a prototype system, changes were always being made to the 3DS. The development team had to redo major aspects of the game numerous times.



-the soundtrack was really important to the game so Sakurai chose the most prominent from SSBB. The composers' first submissions were rarely chosen. Sakurai and his team were very strict in making sure the music fit the game.



-in regards to the online gameplay, "I think it's going to require a lot more research before we can implement a truly exceptional online experience. But I can never quite crack the problem of how to deal with the low transfer rates that are an issue in some homes, and it always makes my head hurt."



NP: Some people have expressed frustration with the game's controls. Was that a concern during the game's development, and why did you ultimately settle on that particular control scheme?



MS: I believe that once players get used to it, this control scheme allows for faster targeting and camera alignment than could be achieved with any external device.



Recently, most games-but particularly first-person shooters-have all played the same, and I think they feel a little stale because of it. When games have massive production values but little innovation, it feels like you're always driving the same car, just with a different interior and on a different track.



I wonder if it just isn't possible to challenge the status quo with new ideas anymore. Personally I believe that gamers are smarter than that, and more adaptable. Attempting new challenges was a theme of this project, and questioning conventional control schemes was a part of that.



-the team learned about the Circle Pad Pro the same time it was officially unveiled to the public. It barely gave them any time to implement the left-handed controls.



"Regardless, the game is already using the full power of the N3DS, and there aren't any resources left over to enable the use of a second analog stick."



NP: Was including the stand with Kid Icarus: Uprising always a part of the plan or was it a response to the feedback you received from early demos?



MS: When the N3DS hardware was still in development, we suggested that Nintendo make the charging cradle be usable as a stand. Nintendo decided against that, so even before Kid Icarus: Uprising was in development, we suggested they make a stand that could be used for playing any game, in addition to our own. We kept asking throughout the development process, and Nintendo was kind enough to design one for us.



-regarding the new Super Smash Bros.: "We've just taken what you could call the first step of the process. This is the first time I've ever had my next project announced before it's even entered development, and because of that, I fear that players will be forced to wait even longer than they expect to. Please be patient."



Thanks to Aljenadro for the heads up!