WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006

'''WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2006' (subtitled Exciting Pro Wrestling 7'' in Japan) is a game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ on November 11 2005.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) This game is a major upgrade from the previous game WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW as it has an upgraded game engine, improved graphics, new gameplay features, etc.
 * 2) Season Mode is improved, now having more replayability compared to the previous game with some new superstar-exclusive storylines.
 * 3) It was the first-ever WWE game to have fully done animated cutscenes in Season Mode.
 * 4) Unlike the previous game, the player superstar (character) is now voiced.
 * 5) * As for the voice acting, it was improved in this game.
 * 6) This game introduces a new match type, as well as improving the already-existing match types.
 * 7) The graphics looked pretty good by 2005 standards, as many of the wrestlers resemble their real-life counterparts.
 * 8) Amazing soundtrack from many music artists such as Dillinger Escape Plan, Static-X, Bumpy Knuckles and many more.
 * 9) The PlayStation Portable version is rather impressive due to being exactly like the PlayStation 2 version, and it included some minigames which are the Eugune Airplane Race, Card game, etc.
 * 10) This is the last WWE game to feature Christian & Stacy Keibler (though he later returned in WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2010 & Stacy would later  return in WWE 2K22).

Bad Qualities

 * 1) This game introduced the stamina system. Over time, your wrestler will get weaker and will need to rest up to get their stamina back. If you don't, your wrestler will be so weak that they walk slower and end up falling down. In a Royal Rumble match, they may end up falling out of the ring. Fortunately, this can be turned off.
 * 2) While the voice acting is good, the 6 CAW character voice choices are bland.
 * 3) Very long loading times if you use CAWs in the PlayStation Portable version.
 * 4) The Eugune Airplane Race can be very hard for players, even for Easy difficulty.
 * 5) Missing wrestlers such as Johnny Nitro, Hardcore Holly, Matt Hardy, Billy Kidman, Tyson Tomko, etc.
 * 6) Lack of announcer tables in the PlayStation Portable port.

Trivia

 * Maven, Young Hulk Hogan and Luther Reigns were planned to be in this game, but were scrapped due to Maven and Reigns leaving the WWE, and Young Hulk Hogan was replaced by 80's Hulk Hogan.
 * If you play as John Cena, his custom WWE title spins during his entrance.
 * There's a cutscene in Season Mode where Eddie Guerrero gets chokeslammed into an open casket by The Undertaker. The day before the game was released in North America, Guererro died after suffering a massive heart attack hours before a SmackDown! taping where he was reportedly scheduled to defeat Batista and Randy Orton in a match for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Reception
The game received "generally favorable" reviews on both platforms, according to review aggregator Metacritic.

Videos
https://youtu.be/3pZG-1zgULk https://youtu.be/H51U59JwRDs https://youtu.be/3HHVbuKoq68 https://youtu.be/OjYtajdAKOg https://youtu.be/oiHk1gTFxog https://youtu.be/mq7X0DB-YUY