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The 17th of November installment of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured Cena's final performance on the show as an competing wrestler. It also saw the reappearance and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the thrills were shockers like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden show, the spotlight was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Moment: Lil Yachty and His Portable Console

Despite everything that happened on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Might it be because of the public's enduring love for Sony's portable system? Might it be because people fondly remember the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, 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 signified the series' first appearance on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game shifted the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, moving away from the fast-paced feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum bar that governed the flow of a match, replacing the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could opt to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a endurance feature that diminished as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the best-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Evolution of the Franchise

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

Features and Unique Elements

In the past, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and appeared as an evolution of titles from the N64 era, because of upgraded graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that sensation only heightened as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes elements not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three exclusive minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," quizzes 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 persona is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Impact

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very whacky, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, missing the innovative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as reminders of some of our cherished eras of wrestling.

Perhaps fans are nostalgic for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the joy 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. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and mirrors an similarly 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.