Different versions of the mane 6 in previous generations?

[P0nyguy96 7]

Were there different versions of the mane 6 in previous generations? I know that in g3(I think), there was a Rainbow Dash but she acted more like Rarity

[ManaMinori 4,145]

G4 Pinkie is a perfect copy of g3 Pinkie. Both were pink and like to plan parties. Scootaloo looks and acts the same as her g3 counterpart. 

[Megas 27,700]

AJ dates all the way back to G1, while RD, Pinkie, and Rarity were part of G3. Funnily enough RD and Rarity were virtually swapped going from G3 to G4, in G3, RD loved fashion while Rarity was energetic and mischievous. Fluttershy also had a G3 counterpart. While there are other Twilight's in MLP, Twilight Sparkle as far as I know was the only one of the mane 6 that was made for G4

[Fhaolan 4,484]

Applejack appears in G1, G3, and G4. Applejack is one of the few characters to span nearly all the generations, although the personality shifts around... just a bit.

Pinkie Pie appears in G3, G3.5, and G4. The G1 character G4 Pinkie was based on was called 'Surprise'.

The full name 'Twilight Sparkle' only really appears in G4. The G1 character G4 Twilight was based on was just called 'Twilight'. The G1 color scheme was used for Twilight's mother in G4.

Fluttershy as such only appears in G4. The G1 character G4 Fluttershy was based on was called 'Posey'. Her cutie-mark also appears on a G2 pony called 'Sky Skimmer', and that's pretty much the only thing from G2 that mapped up to the G4 mane cast. 

A character named Rainbow Dash appears in G3, G3.5, and G4, but the personality is quite different each time. The G1 character the G4 RD was based on was called 'Firefly'.

Rarity appears in G3 and G4, but is quite different. The G1 character G4 Rarity was based on is actually a blending of 'Glory' and 'Sparkler'.

Like Applejack, Spike also appears in G1, G3, and G4.