The 17th of November episode of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix included Cena's last performance on the show as an competing wrestler. It also experienced the return and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their respective groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the thrills were shockers like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden show, the focus was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.
In spite of everything that happened on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Could it be because of society's lasting love for Sony's handheld console? Is it 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?
Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the series' first appearance on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game moved the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, steering clear of the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum gauge that controlled the flow of a match, taking the place of the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could decide to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a stamina system that drained as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the best-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.
The series commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued as an yearly release, excluding in 2021. It remained a only on PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which brought the franchise to additional platforms. In 2013, the series was relabeled as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.
Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and appeared as an progression of titles from the N64 era, because of enhanced graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that feeling only intensified as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were consistently introduced.
The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds elements not found on its PS2 version, including three special minigames 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, occasionally using audio clips or video snippets. The other two minigames are a poker game and "Eugene’s Airplane," where players guide Eugene (whose gimmick is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.
The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very whacky, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as time capsules of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.
It's possible fans are longing for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the pleasure of seeing a celebrity celebrating the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was truly exceptional, and mirrors an equally great era of wrestling, one that was ruled 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.
Lena Hoffmann is a seasoned journalist with a passion for uncovering stories that matter, specializing in German current affairs and digital media trends.
