Vintage Grappling Game Steals the Attention at John Cena's Ultimate Monday Night Raw Show

The Nov. 17 installment of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured John Cena's final performance on the program as an competing wrestler. Moreover witnessed the comeback and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the excitement were shockers like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a packed Madison Square Garden event, the spotlight was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Popular Incident: The Rapper and His Portable Console

In spite of everything that happened on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Could it be because of society's enduring love for Sony's handheld console? Could it be because people fondly remember the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans don't care for the latest 2K games?

Delving Into SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Title

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the franchise's introduction 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 greater realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum gauge that governed the flow of a match, replacing the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could choose to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a stamina mechanic that decreased as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the best-selling PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Evolution of the Series

The franchise began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an annual release, excluding in 2021. It remained a exclusive to PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which brought the franchise to other platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Innovations and Exclusive Content

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and felt like an progression of titles from the N64 era, because of upgraded graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that feeling only strengthened as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features features not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three unique mini-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, sometimes using audio clips or video snippets. The other two minigames are a poker game and "Eugene’s Airplane," where players direct Eugene (whose persona is being an developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Legacy

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned toward total simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as reminders of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

Perhaps fans are sentimental for a comparable, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the joy of seeing a celebrity honoring the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks cheer for Yachty. Alternatively SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was truly exceptional, and mirrors an similarly 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.