What's slow about sprite control? For a large number of sprites they could be slow because of the large number of surfaces, but for a single sprite (or small number at any rate) it's no big deal.
As for wanting the control of a sprite, what sort of control are you after exactly? I'm not clear on why using a sprite in the 3D environment won't work.
As for wanting the control of a sprite, what sort of control are you after exactly? I'm not clear on why using a sprite in the 3D environment won't work.