Ask any wrestling fan over the age of twenty-five about the "golden age" of consoles, and they won't talk about ray tracing or 4K textures. They'll talk about the flickering blue light of a PS2 and the opening riff of a licensed rock song. Specifically, they'll talk about SmackDown vs Raw 2006. It wasn't just another yearly update. Honestly, it was the moment the franchise decided to grow up.
For years, the series felt like an arcade brawler. It was fast, chaotic, and totally unrealistic. Then 2005 rolled around—technically when the game launched—and Yuke’s decided to pivot toward a "simulation" feel. They added weight. They added exhaustion. They added a level of strategy that made you actually think before spamming five German suplexes in a row.
The Stamina Struggle: A Love-Hate Relationship
The biggest shock to the system in SmackDown vs Raw 2006 was the stamina meter. If you haven't played it in a decade, you might forget how punishing this was. You couldn't just run circles around the Big Show forever. Your character would literally stop, hunch over, and gasp for air if you pushed too hard. It was frustrating for kids who wanted to mash buttons. But for everyone else? It was a revelation.
Matches finally had a "flow." You had to find windows to rest. You had to breathe. This was paired with a brand-new momentum system that replaced the old clean/dirty meters. If you fought like a hero (face), you built momentum differently than if you poked your opponent in the eye or used a chair (heel). It felt like the TV show. You weren't just playing a fighting game; you were "working" a match.
Why GM Mode Is Still the G.O.A.T.
We have to talk about General Manager Mode. This is the feature that keeps this game alive on emulators today. In SmackDown vs Raw 2006, you weren't just a wrestler. You were the boss. You picked between Eric Bischoff or Theodore Long and tried to run the other brand out of business.
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It was brutal. You had a budget. You had to sign talent. You had to book the shows. If you put on a five-star classic but your rival show had a better main event, you lost fans. Simple as that. The depth here was insane for the time:
- Contract Management: You couldn't just keep everyone forever. You had to negotiate.
- Rivalries: Booking the same two guys every week built a "feud" rating, which boosted your TV stars.
- Brand Warfare: You could literally send your guys to "invade" the other show to tank their ratings.
Modern 2K games have tried to bring this back, but there’s a certain grit to the '06 version that feels more authentic. It didn't hold your hand. If you went bankrupt, you were done.
The Roster That Time Forgot
The lineup in this game is a weird, beautiful time capsule. You have the "Ruthless Aggression" era staples like a young, "Dr. of Thuganomics" John Cena and a peak-power Batista. But then you have the legends. We're talking Andre the Giant, Bret Hart, and the return of Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
What’s wild is the stuff that didn't make it. Matt Hardy was famously left out because of the real-life Edge/Lita drama that got him fired (briefly) during development. If you dig into the game files, there’s even leftover data for guys like Maven and Luther Reigns. It's a snapshot of a company in total flux.
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Small Touches That Changed Everything
It’s easy to focus on the big modes, but the "quality of life" upgrades were massive. This was the first game to let you defend titles in Exhibition mode. Before this, you basically had to be in Season Mode to see a belt on the line. They also introduced the Buried Alive match and the "Fulfill Your Fantasy" match (which replaced the old Bra and Panties matches).
The graphics took a massive leap too. Character models finally stopped looking like plastic action figures and started looking like humans. They had facial expressions. When they got tired, they looked miserable. When they got hit, they sold it. The crowd was upgraded to full 3D, so it didn't look like you were wrestling in front of a cardboard cutout anymore.
The PSP Factor: Gaming on the Go
We can't ignore the handheld version. Usually, portable wrestling games were garbage. They were 2D or missing half the features. But the PSP version of SmackDown vs Raw 2006 was almost a 1:1 port. It was mind-blowing to have the full GM Mode and Season Mode in your pocket.
Sure, the loading times were legendary—you could literally go make a sandwich while a match loaded—but it was worth it. It even had exclusive mini-games like "Eugene's Airplane" and WWE Trivia. If you wanted to unlock everything, you actually had to connect your PSP to your PS2 with a USB cable. It was peak 2005 tech.
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How to Play It Today
If you’re looking to scratch that itch, you have a few options. Finding a physical copy and a working PS2 is the purest way, obviously. But the modding community for this game is still incredibly active on PC via emulation. People have created updated rosters, HD textures, and even custom music to make it feel like a modern release.
Practical Next Steps for Fans:
- Check the Soundtrack: Go find the "Symphony of Destruction" remix by Megadeth or "Start a War" by Static-X. It will instantly transport you back to 2005.
- Dust off the Emulator: Use PCSX2 if you’re on PC. It allows you to run the game at higher resolutions, which makes those character models look surprisingly modern.
- Start a GM Mode Run: Try playing as SmackDown. It’s widely considered "easy mode" because you don’t have to deal with the Women’s Championship (which had lower ratings in the game's logic) and you get the Cruiserweights.
- Experiment with Attributes: Don't forget to tweak the "Hardcore" and "Stamina" stats for your Created Superstars to see how it changes the match pacing.
SmackDown vs Raw 2006 wasn't perfect. The AI could be "brain-dead" sometimes, standing around while you climbed a ladder. The referee would occasionally block your path and cause a DQ. But as a package? It was the peak of the series for many. It captured the drama, the sweat, and the business side of wrestling in a way that very few games have managed since.