Vintage Grappling Game Grabs the Spotlight at John Cena's Ultimate Monday Night Raw Appearance
The 17th of November installment of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix showcased John Cena's last performance on the show as an competing wrestler. It also experienced the comeback and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their individual groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the thrills were surprises like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden event, the focus was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.
Trending Incident: Lil Yachty and His Handheld Device
Regardless of everything that happened on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Is it because of the public's lasting love for Sony's portable system? Might it be because people fondly remember the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans aren't interested in the newer 2K games?
Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Game
Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the franchise's introduction on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game shifted the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, departing from the fast-paced 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 decide to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a stamina mechanic that decreased as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the best-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.
Development of the Franchise
The franchise began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued as an yearly release, aside from in 2021. It remained a exclusive to PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which expanded the franchise to other platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.
Gameplay and Unique Modes
In the past, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and felt like an progression of titles from the N64 era, because of enhanced graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that sensation only strengthened as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were steadily introduced.
The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds modes not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three unique side games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges 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 steer Eugene (whose gimmick is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.
Sentiment and Heritage
The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward total simulations with the 2K games, missing the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as snapshots of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.
It's possible fans are nostalgic for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the joy of seeing a celebrity celebrating 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 really that great, and represents an just as great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will step away from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.