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The Nov. 17 installment of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix featured Cena's final performance on the show as an competing wrestler. Moreover saw the return and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined 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 reappearing. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden event, the spotlight was taken by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Event: The Rapper and His Handheld Device

Despite everything that transpired on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Might it be because of the public's undying love for Sony's handheld console? Might it be because people cherish the memory of the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans aren't interested in the more recent 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Title

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the franchise's introduction on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game transitioned the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It added 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 decreased as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the most popular PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Evolution of the Line

The line commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued as an regular release, except in 2021. It remained a PlayStation exclusive until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which expanded the franchise to other platforms. In 2013, the series was relabeled as WWE 2K, commencing with WWE 2K14.

Features and Exclusive Modes

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and appeared as an evolution of titles from the N64 era, thanks to enhanced graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that feeling only strengthened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were gradually introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds features not found on its PS2 version, including three unique mini-games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges players with 500 wrestling questions covering 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 gimmick is being an developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Legacy

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned toward complete simulations with the 2K games, missing the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as time capsules of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

Perhaps fans are longing for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the joy of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks clamor for Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and mirrors an just as great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will bow out from in-ring competition on the 13th of December, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.