The Nov. 17 installment of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix showcased John Cena's final performance on the show as an competing wrestler. It also saw the reappearance and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the thrills were unexpected moments like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden show, the spotlight was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.
Popular Incident: The Rapper and His Handheld Device
Despite everything that went down on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Could it be because of pop culture's lasting love for Sony's handheld console? Might it be because people nostalgically recall the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the newer 2K games?
Delving Into SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Game
For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the franchise's 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-style feel of earlier titles. It brought in a new momentum gauge that controlled the flow of a match, replacing the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could choose to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a stamina mechanic that drained as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the best-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.
Development of the Line
The line began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued as an annual release, except in 2021. It remained a only on PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which introduced the franchise to additional platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14.
Gameplay and Special Elements
Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and felt like an progression of titles from the N64 era, because of improved graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that feeling only strengthened as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were steadily introduced.
The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes features not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three special side games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges players with 500 wrestling questions encompassing 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 guide Eugene (whose persona is being an developmentally disabled 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 targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward total simulations with the 2K games, missing the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as reminders of some of our cherished eras of wrestling.
It's possible fans are sentimental for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the pleasure of seeing a celebrity honoring the excellence of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks clamor for Yachty. Or perhaps 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 step away from in-ring competition on December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
