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The November 17 installment of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix showcased Cena's last performance on the program as an active wrestler. Moreover saw the reappearance and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned with their individual groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the thrills were surprises like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the attention was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Incident: The Rapper and His Portable Console

Despite everything that happened on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Is it because of society's lasting love for Sony's handheld console? Could it be because people nostalgically recall the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the latest 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Release

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the franchise's introduction on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game moved the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, steering clear of the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum bar that controlled the flow of a match, substituting for 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 diminished as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the most popular PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Progression of the Series

The line started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued as an yearly release, except in 2021. It remained a only on PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which brought the franchise to further platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14.

Features and Unique Modes

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and seemed like an progression of titles from the N64 era, thanks to enhanced graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that feeling only strengthened as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features features not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three exclusive minigames 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, at times using audio clips or video snippets. The other two minigames are a poker game and "Eugene’s Airplane," where players steer Eugene (whose character is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Legacy

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as snapshots of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

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