🔗 Share this article

The Nov. 17 edition of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured Cena's final performance on the program as an competing wrestler. It also saw the return and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their individual groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the action were unexpected moments like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the focus was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Incident: The Rapper and His PSP

Regardless of everything that went down on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Might it be because of the public's enduring love for Sony's portable system? Could it be because people fondly remember the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans aren't interested in the latest 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Timeless Game

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the series' first appearance on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game moved the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum bar that controlled the flow of a match, taking the place of the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could choose to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a endurance feature that drained as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the top-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Development of the Line

The series started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued as an yearly release, except in 2021. It remained a PlayStation exclusive until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which introduced the franchise to other platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Features and Special Content

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

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds features not found on its PS2 version, including three exclusive mini-games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," quizzes players with 500 wrestling questions covering everything from music and finishers to history and feuds, sometimes using audio clips or video snippets. The other two minigames are a poker game and "Eugene’s Airplane," where players direct Eugene (whose persona is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Heritage

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as reminders of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are nostalgic for a comparable, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the joy of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the excellence 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 represents an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will bow out from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.