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The 17th of November edition of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix included John Cena's ultimate performance on the show as an competing wrestler. Additionally saw the reappearance and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their individual groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the excitement were unexpected moments like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden event, the spotlight was taken by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Popular Event: The Rapper and His Portable Console

Despite everything that happened on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Is it because of society's lasting love for Sony's mobile device? Is it because people fondly remember the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the latest 2K games?

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

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the franchise's first appearance on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game shifted the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, steering clear of the fast-paced feel of earlier titles. It brought in a new momentum bar that controlled the flow of a match, replacing the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could choose to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a endurance feature that decreased as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the most popular PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Evolution of the Series

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

Gameplay and Unique Content

In the past, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and appeared as an evolution of titles from the N64 era, thanks to improved graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that feeling only intensified as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes features not found on its PS2 version, including three special mini-games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," tests players with 500 wrestling questions including everything from music and finishers to history and feuds, sometimes using audio clips or video snippets. The other two minigames are a poker game and "Eugene’s Airplane," where players guide Eugene (whose character 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 zany, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward total simulations with the 2K games, lacking the innovative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as snapshots of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

Perhaps fans are nostalgic for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the delight of seeing a celebrity honoring the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks cheer for Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and mirrors an equally great era of wrestling, one that was ruled by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.