🔗 Share this article

The 17th of November installment of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured John Cena's final performance on the program as an competing wrestler. Moreover witnessed the comeback and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their individual groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the thrills were surprises like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the spotlight was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Moment: The Rapper and His PSP

Regardless of everything that went down on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Could it be because of pop culture's enduring love for Sony's handheld console? Might it be because people fondly remember the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans don't care for the latest 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Timeless Release

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the franchise's introduction on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game transitioned the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum bar that governed the flow of a match, replacing the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could opt to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a stamina mechanic that drained as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the top-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Progression of the Line

The line commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued as an annual release, except in 2021. It remained a exclusive to PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which brought the franchise to further platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, commencing with WWE 2K14.

Features and Unique Elements

In the past, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and felt like an advancement of titles from the N64 era, because of upgraded graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that impression only strengthened as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds features not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three exclusive minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges players with 500 wrestling questions including everything from music and finishers to history and feuds, at times using audio clips or video snippets. The other two minigames are a poker game and "Eugene’s Airplane," where players guide Eugene (whose character is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Legacy

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward complete simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the innovative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as reminders of some of our cherished eras of wrestling.

Perhaps fans are sentimental for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the pleasure of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks clamor for Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and reflects an equally great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will bow out from in-ring competition on December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.