🔗 Share this article

The 17th of November edition of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix showcased John Cena's final appearance on the show 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 forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the thrills were shockers like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the spotlight was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Event: The Rapper and His Handheld Device

Regardless 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 enduring love for Sony's mobile device? Is it because people nostalgically recall the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the latest 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Title

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 only on PlayStation. The game shifted the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, steering clear of the fast-paced feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum meter that controlled the flow of a match, substituting for 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; showier 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 line started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an regular release, aside from in 2021. It remained a PlayStation exclusive until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which expanded the franchise to other platforms. In 2013, the series was renamed as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14.

Features and Special Content

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and felt like an progression of titles from the N64 era, due to upgraded graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that impression only intensified as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes features not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three unique side 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, occasionally using audio clips or video snippets. The other two minigames are a poker game and "Eugene’s Airplane," where players steer Eugene (whose character is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Legacy

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

Perhaps fans are sentimental for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the pleasure of seeing a celebrity honoring the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks cheer for Yachty. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and represents an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will step away from in-ring competition on December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.