🔗 Share this article

The November 17 installment of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix included Cena's ultimate appearance on the show as an active wrestler. Additionally experienced the reappearance and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their respective groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the excitement were shockers like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a packed Madison Square Garden event, the attention was taken by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Moment: Lil Yachty and His Handheld Device

In spite of everything that happened on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Is it because of the public's undying love for Sony's portable system? Is it because people nostalgically recall the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the newer 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Title

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented 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 shifted the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, moving away from the fast-paced feel of earlier titles. It added 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 diminished as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the top-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Progression of the Series

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

Gameplay and Unique Elements

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and appeared as an advancement of titles from the N64 era, because of enhanced graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that impression only intensified as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were gradually introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds elements not found on its PS2 version, including three exclusive minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," quizzes 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 persona is being an developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Impact

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

Maybe fans are nostalgic for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the delight of seeing a celebrity honoring the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and represents an equally great era of wrestling, one that was ruled by John Cena, who will step away from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.