Retro Wrestling Video Game Grabs the Limelight at Cena's Final Raw Show

The November 17 installment of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured John Cena's ultimate performance on the show as an competing wrestler. It also witnessed the return and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned with their respective groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the excitement were unexpected moments like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the focus was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Moment: The Rapper and His PSP

Despite everything that went down on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Could it be because of pop culture's undying love for Sony's mobile device? Could it be because people nostalgically recall the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans aren't interested in the newer 2K games?

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

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the series' introduction on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game transitioned the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It brought in a new momentum gauge that controlled the flow of a match, taking the place of 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; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the best-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Evolution of the Series

The line started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an yearly release, aside from in 2021. It remained a PlayStation exclusive until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which brought the franchise to additional platforms. In 2013, the series was relabeled as WWE 2K, commencing with WWE 2K14.

Innovations and Unique Content

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

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes modes not found on its PS2 version, including three special 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 character is being an developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Sentiment and Impact

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very whacky, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, lacking the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as time capsules of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

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