G1/G4 crossover

This needs to be a thing.

Sadly, it’s not possible. They don’t own the rights to most G1 character’s names. Spike and Applejack are the only two characters to be in all gens, IIRC.

@Itsthinking  
Maybe give them slightly new names? But leave them the same ponies of the same colours the 80s fans know and love.

@SeraphimDawn  
The thing is that I don’t know if they own the likenesses/toy designs either. Even if they owned the likenesses, they’d never make a cross-generation special if they couldn’t sell both styles of toy.
 
Don’t know who owns them now, but I know it’s not Hasbro and it’s probably not Zacherle.

Hopes and dreams are crushed.  
Well…there’s always fanfic.

@Itsthinking  
They could G4-ify those old ponies. Give the fans references to G1, make the G4 ponies team up with the updated G1 ponies to defeat a time and dimension shifting villains.
 
They may not exactly be in the style and original names of the G1 ponies, but in spirit they are. Just like the current gen.

Honestly, I just really want to see the Smooze as a serious season 4 villain.

@SeraphimDawn  
They had some small references in the comics, but that was more the fan knowledge/easter eggs of the writers/artists.

@Itsthinking  
Not owning the rights means that they can’t print toys around them. There is no law that prohibits them from using the names in the cartoon.  
Hasbro couldn’t to use the G1 names for the mane 6 because they ware all meant to be turned into toylines and used for other products.
 
Husbro lost the rights to neglect, meaning that they didn’t use the names and likenesses they can’t claim them anymore, but so can’t anyone else.

@Itsthinking  
Spike wasn’t in G2, but Applejack sort of was, she just had a different name (but extremely similar design). Star Swirl was in G1, G2, G3, a G4 toy, and even mentioned in the show, but that’s probably a different pony. I know there are a couple others, but I’m forgetting them…
 
On the other hand, I would love to see some sea ponies in the show, or something like them.

Sea ponies! They’re so cute.

I’m not sure how reliable this info is, but didn’t they loose the television’s show right only? To disney when they brought marvel that was licenced to produce the g1 series.

Them not owning the rights doesn’t mean they couldn’t get them back if they wanted to. It’s just easier for them to constantly rerelease the same characters and thus not have to worry about getting rights to any new names, recycled or otherwise.