We've had several nuggets of information crop up over the past couple of months regarding the remakes of Game Boy Advance classics Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. "A remake?" you ask. "What's there to be excited about?" Well, as it happens... plenty. Let me give you the run-down of what's confirmed, hinted at, and really rather likely to appear in these Hoenn overhauls:

Move Tutors

New Areas, Old Legends

New Mega Evolutions

Missing Items

Super Secret Bases

The few move tutors that existed in Pokémon X and Y would only teach a very small group of Pokémon moves. Plenty of moves doled out by move tutors in previous generations are now available as TMs, but many still remain unattainable. Want a Clefable with Softboiled? You'll need to transport it across from Generation III through to Generation VI. That's a lot of time and effort, plus when it arrives, it won't even be tournament legal (denoted by a blue pentagon symbol on their information page). Games released later in each generation of Pokémon have always added several move tutors. Hopefully we'll see some packing classic moves like Body Slam, alongside a whole host of new moves from X and Y.Previous remakes in the series have each had extra areas bolted on to them such as the Sevii Islands and the Embedded Tower. Judging from the new Hoenn map, that may very well be the case here too. New areas and buildings were home to several legendary Sinnoh Pokémon in HeartGold and SoulSilver , as was the case with Johto and Hoenn legendaries in FireRed and LeafGreen. A hint towards this theory lies in the north of the new map - a shrouded island that conjures up images of Generation IV's Distortion World, home of the Giratina. Could the Strange Souvenir item from X and Y be something to do with it? Many competitive players hope for the return of the tough-as-nails Battle Frontier from Pokémon Emerald too. There's a fair shot it may come back, but there will certainly be a battle arena of some sort to earn Battle Points in.The rather odd Pokémon-Amie minigame, where you increase affection with your Pokémon for battle perks, is back with a vengeance. The recent teaser trailer shows Pikachu cosplaying as a rock star, professor; even Mexican wrestler. The message underneath the reveal reads: "Is this some kind of contest hall?" This may be a tease for a new twist on the long-forgotten Pokémon Contests and Super Contests that previously appeared in Generation III and IV. These were where Pokémon would be judged by their condition (coolness, beauty, cuteness, smartness, or toughness) and moves. Condition could only be raised by Pokéblocks or Poffins. Will they return or perhaps be superseded by X and Y's Poké Puffs?While no new Pokémon have been confirmed as of yet, we do know of at least five new Mega Evolutions for old favourites. Sceptile, Swampert, Sableye, Metagross, Latios, and Latias will all mega-evolve later this year, with new Abilities to mix up the metagame yet again. The teased Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre aren't being treated as Mega Evolutions but rather as new forms. This could mean a couple of new moves and some stat readjustments for the brawling rivals. No word on a Primal Rayquaza yet, but it'd make sense.The Pokémon Transporter, released earlier this year, allowed you to trade over Pokémon from Generation III, IV, and V games to complete the National Pokédex. It did not, however, allow you to transport held items along with them. This means many items from earlier games in the series allowing for boosts and form changes have yet to turn up in Generation VI. Expect held items like Soul Dew, as well as an assortment of Gems and Berries to come back soon.The real game changer. A Super Secret Base can be set up using the Secret Power move at designated spots on the world map (specific bushes, trees, or wall nooks). After unpacking your Secret PC you can spruce up the place to your liking perhaps with all manner of decorations, from labyrinthine puzzles to dozens of plushes. Then, either by StreetPassing or sharing your QR Code online, you can challenge people to battle you in your lair. When you visit a friend's base, you can recruit them as Secret Pals for your base. Not only will these pals help you guard your base under your own battle rules, they'll also reward you with with SuperTed-esque "special powers." These sound much like the Pass Power and O-Power systems from Generation V and VI, mixed with a sprinkling of the Join Avenue system from Black 2 and White 2 . Flags, returning from Generation IV underground bases, can be nabbed from rival bases to increase your rank and, in turn, boost Secret Pals' powers. Expect the usual experience multipliers and hatching time reductions, plus some nifty new ones. Back in the original Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire games, Secret Base rivals could be battled for extra EXP after beating the Pokémon Champion. If the same holds true for these remakes, levelling up and EV training would suddenly become much easier. Ask a friend to get a team of six Blisseys with non-damaging moves and you'll never need to grind again! The only downside to all this appears to be that character customisation from Pokémon X and Y may not make it across to Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. We're assuming this as Secret Pals appear as trainer classes (such as Aroma Lady, Rich Boy, and Lass), rather than customised get-ups.How are you going to set up your Super Secret Base? Which Mega evolutions would you like to see? Let us know in the comments!