Smackdown Vs Raw 2006 Revisited

For those of you that don't know (probably every single one of you), I have been playing through every single WWE game (for some reason in a random order) and I'm ranking them.

The latest of these games was WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2006 on the PlayStation 2. I generally create a character and play my way through the career mode (or as far as I can stand in the case of WW2K16). In this game I went a step further. I did the usual career run. I also decided to do just over a year in the games GM mode.

The first thing that stood out to me with this game is the loading times, man are they long. I felt like I was waiting forever. Is this what life used to be like? Another thing I quickly realised that I really dislike is the reversal system. I'm used to a single button. Not one for strike and another for grapples. How am I supposed to anticipate what an AI controlled player will do next. With humans they have tells, patterns. A.I no. It is much better as a single button and it being solely based on your timing.

As for the career there are 4 branching paths, two for Smackdown and 2 for Raw. The whole career is voice acted by all the superstars. I wish there was a story like this in modern WWE games. The story I got started a little sexist but ultimately it was entertaining throughout and visited a cast of characters and left me fighting in many stipulations. It was just fun.

As for customisation modes. You can create a character with all the bells and whistles that comes with that, I think it's the first time you can create a belt and an entrance. This game is the first step in the great customisation tools you see today.

Finally GM mode. The highlight of this game. Drafting a roster, creating shows, managing their popularity, fitness levels and what rivalries they are part of. It's enthralling. Many a time I would start playing this mode when I got home from work, would look up and its 2a.m. I was addicted. Until I ultimately won GM of the year, went into another draft and lost Mankind. One of my star guys and got shit in trade. It's the way it goes and I guess I could have tried to mould a 64 rated Kane to becoming a fan draw but I...just didn't want to.

I really wish WWE games today were more like this. It is some of the most fun i have had with a WWE property in a long time. The game is snappy and plays well. GM mode in deep and addicting. It's just the best.

The Ranking

1. WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2006

2. WWE 2K15

3. WWE 2K16

I played some of the SD vs. Raw games a few years ago and had a pretty good time with them. It's weird how from a high-level, they're pretty similar in structure and features to the 2K era games, but they're just so much more engrossing and fun to play.

2006 was one of the best installments of this series for sure, the online was pretty fun and spawned a nice little community on the PS2 as it had actual lobbies you could sit and chat in, that's what led me over to CAWs.ws and creating/trading custom character formulas as I don't think they added an in-game trade feature until the next year. Story mode and GM were cool, and I can't remember if it was in this one...but wasn't there a 2K Sports-like crib feature? I know there was one in 2007 complete with an achievement challenge mode with scenarios like trying to beat The Great Khali with Mickie James. Great game though, and a good selection of Legends. Hell, some of them looked better than their PS3 counterparts in later games.

The two big archaic things about the old SvR games is two reversal buttons and having to press triangle to run rather than it being a trigger. Always takes me a while to adjust whenever i go back. I like the reversal system because it adds an element of psychology and unpredictability to it rather than just being able to keep your fingers on a single button the whole time. I went back a few months ago and i still love how it plays. Doing a big long slobberknocker match is still pretty great.

There are parts of both brand's stories that are real cringey going back, but outside of those arcs theyre pretty fun, goofy and enjoyable. The sheer amount of voice acting and the way the stories change based on certain characters being involved is still cool to see today.

06 is the one i started on, and its still probably my favorite wrestling game

I went back to WWE 2K17 last night and I just keep pressing circle to pick my opponent up. That's pin now and I keep getting needless 1 counts. Which then gives my opponent some of their finisher bar when they kick out.

The first thing that stood out to me with this game is the loading times, man are they long. I felt like I was waiting forever. Is this what life used to be like?

Absolutely. And in some poorly optimized games it's still that way. I believe that at launch ReCore had loading times of well over a minute.

Haven't you played here comes the pain.