🔗 Share this article

The November 17 edition of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix featured Cena's ultimate performance on the program as an active wrestler. It also saw the reappearance and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their respective groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the excitement were surprises like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden show, the attention was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Incident: The Rapper and His Portable Console

In spite of 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 undying love for Sony's handheld console? Could it be because people nostalgically recall the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans don't care for the more recent 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Game

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the franchise's introduction on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game transitioned the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, moving away 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 decide to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a stamina mechanic that decreased as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the most popular PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Development of the Franchise

The franchise started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued as an regular release, aside from in 2021. It remained a exclusive to PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which expanded the franchise to further platforms. In 2013, the series was renamed as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14.

Innovations and Special Elements

In the past, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and appeared as an progression of titles from the N64 era, due to upgraded graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that sensation only heightened as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features features not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three exclusive minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," quizzes 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 steer Eugene (whose gimmick is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Impact

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward total simulations with the 2K games, lacking the innovative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as reminders of some of our cherished eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are nostalgic for a comparable, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be 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. 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 the 13th of December, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.