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The 17th of November edition of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured Cena's ultimate performance on the show as an competing wrestler. Additionally witnessed the return and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned with their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the excitement were surprises like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden show, the focus was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Popular Incident: Lil Yachty and His Handheld Device

Despite everything that transpired on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Could it be because of society's lasting love for Sony's mobile device? Is it because people nostalgically recall the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans aren't interested in the newer 2K games?

Delving Into SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Game

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the franchise's debut 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 introduced a new momentum gauge 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; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the best-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Development of the Series

The franchise began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an annual release, aside from in 2021. It remained a only on PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which brought the franchise to additional platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Special Modes

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and appeared as 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 RPG storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds features not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three exclusive minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," tests players with 500 wrestling questions encompassing 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 direct Eugene (whose gimmick 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 shifted toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, lacking the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as snapshots of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are nostalgic for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the pleasure of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the excellence of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and represents an equally great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will bow out from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.