Retro Wrestling Game Steals the Attention at John Cena's Final Raw Show
The 17th of November episode of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix included Cena's ultimate performance on the program as an competing wrestler. It also saw the reappearance and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their individual groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the excitement were shockers like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden spectacle, the focus was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.
Popular Moment: Lil Yachty and His Handheld Device
In spite of everything that happened on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Might it be because of the public's enduring love for Sony's portable system? Is it because people fondly remember the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans aren't interested in the more recent 2K games?
Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Timeless Game
If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the franchise's introduction on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game shifted the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It brought in a new momentum meter 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 stamina system that decreased as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the top-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.
Evolution of the Franchise
The series started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted as an regular release, aside from in 2021. It remained a exclusive to PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which brought the franchise to additional platforms. In 2013, the series was renamed as WWE 2K, commencing with WWE 2K14.
Innovations and Special Content
In the past, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and appeared as an evolution of titles from the N64 era, due to improved graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that feeling only heightened as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were consistently introduced.
The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes modes not found on its PS2 version, including three unique mini-games 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, occasionally using audio clips or video snippets. The other two minigames are a poker game and "Eugene’s Airplane," where players direct Eugene (whose gimmick is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.
Sentiment and Legacy
The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned 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 favorite eras of wrestling.
Maybe fans are longing for a comparable, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the pleasure of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the excellence of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and represents 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.