Vintage Wrestling Video Game Takes the Attention at John Cena's Final Raw Show

The November 17 episode of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix included Cena's final performance on the show as an competing wrestler. Moreover saw the comeback and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the excitement were shockers like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a packed Madison Square Garden show, the focus was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Incident: The Rapper and His Portable Console

Regardless of everything that happened on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Could it be because of pop culture's undying love for Sony's portable system? Is it because people fondly remember the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans don't care for the latest 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Title

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

Progression of the Franchise

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

Gameplay and Special Modes

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

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features elements not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three unique mini-games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," quizzes players with 500 wrestling questions encompassing 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 steer Eugene (whose gimmick is being an developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Legacy

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

It's possible fans are sentimental for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the pleasure of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Alternatively SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and mirrors an just as great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.