Classic Wrestling Video Game Steals the Spotlight at John Cena's Ultimate Raw Show

The November 17 installment of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured Cena's ultimate appearance on the program as an active wrestler. It also saw the comeback and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the excitement were surprises 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 event, the focus was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Moment: Lil Yachty and His Portable Console

Despite everything that happened on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Might it be because of society's lasting love for Sony's portable system? Could it be because people cherish the memory of the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans aren't interested in the more recent 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Timeless Release

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the series' debut on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game moved the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum bar that governed the flow of a match, substituting for the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could opt to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a endurance feature that decreased as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the best-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Progression of the Series

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

Innovations and Unique Elements

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and seemed like an advancement of titles from the N64 era, due to improved graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that feeling only strengthened as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were gradually introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds elements not found on its PS2 version, including three unique side games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges players with 500 wrestling questions covering 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 steer Eugene (whose persona is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Impact

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as snapshots 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. Perhaps 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. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and represents an just as great era of wrestling, one that was ruled by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.