Long... but still worth the read if you still dont wan't new regions in the game.
I think many of you have the wrong idea about remakes. A port is what many of you are thinking of. A port is a game that has been redesigned to fit a new console, which is new control scheme, graphics update and bugs fixed ect... A remake is about adding new features to the game that were not done before or were not possible.
No one wants to play a complete identical remake of the original GSC games. It must be updated with 4th gen rules, otherwise whats the point in buying it? Look at the Chrono Triger port for the DS compared to what nintendo has done with the pokemon remakes so far... Chrono Triger, as much as it has a huge fanbase did not do so well as a port because no one wants to spend 50 dollars for a game they already have or can get free from an emulator. So instead the developers MUST add more to the remakes of GSC to give it more appeal so that we would buy it again. Hence the many updates we are getting so far.
What made GSC better then all other games? Hands down GSC has a much greater fanbase. But why? More pokemon? New region? More Plot? Actually... its the experience as a whole. Lets look at what the 3rd gen games had compared to the 2nd gen.
GSC had two regions/RSE had only one
GSC had a greater amount of pokemon to capture then RSE.
GSC had 16 gyms/RSE had 8 gyms and pokemon costests.
GSC had a continued story to RBY/ RSE Was a completly new story
GSC fetured new ways to evolve pokemon/RSE had poekmon ablities added (Both were greata aditions)
From the looks of things RSE feels much like a step back if anything. GSC felt like a real sequel. It had more to do and more options to choose from in maters of pokemon. RSE limited many of us away from our favorites.
What are the fetures they are adding to HG/SS to make it better? The fact that it is 4th gen rules is enough and having the option to have any one of your pokemon fallow you around is cool and something I may use for the fun of it. And the pokemon Abilities they added in gen 3 make things a lot more interesting. We are also getting many 3rd and 4rth gen legendaries... but how would fit into play is unknown right now.
Adding the hoenn region would be a good thing too. You are forgetting that hoenn is also a pokemon region with more gyms, more story, more pokemon, and more experience. I doubt it would be added but it would be a great addition. An idiot would think Kanto would not be in the game. As long as there is money involved the company well make kanto a million times. So adding Hoenn would mean 3 regions in the game. A step forward if anything. heck why not add the orange island as well (they are right below the johto and Kanto maps and would mean more to do.) Also, Hoenn and Orange Island, if they are in the game, would still be optional Like what Kanto was. GSC was the only dual-region series, one of the main reasons why it felt so right. Also a reason why the remakes would sell better then D/P. More to do means me people would be attracted to them.
The DS games cards can hold a lot more data then the old GB cards, which means a full scale Kanto region should be comming. Also fact that there is more memory in the game cards means they could put more regions and pokemon in it. Proving that D/P was a lazy series. Games are not always as big as you think. Very few ever reach the memory limit.
I still have no hopes for Hoenn, But I do Orange Islands. The Orange Islands, If you think about it, would be perfect. It gives new areas to explore and in a fun way to use surf and perhaps dive. This way the develoeprs can have more room for adding the extra pokemon like the regis, Kyogre/Groudon and raquaza. Being just 4 gyms would mean that its not so big. And the orange islands are near by.
Also keep in mind that the devolopers only care about profit. And as far as they are concerned no one is buying GSC at the moment, only playing it. So its time to resell the game. I don't expect the hoenn region to show up again until the RSE remakes. Ocean Saphirre and Desert Ruby.