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The 17th of November installment of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix included John Cena's last appearance on the show as an active wrestler. Moreover experienced the comeback and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their individual groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the excitement were shockers like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the attention was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Moment: Lil Yachty and His Portable Console

Regardless of everything that transpired on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Is it because of the public's undying love for Sony's portable system? Could it be because people cherish the memory of the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the newer 2K games?

Delving Into SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Release

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the franchise's first appearance on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game transitioned the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum bar that controlled the flow of a match, replacing the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could decide to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a endurance feature that drained as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the most popular PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Progression of the Line

The series started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued 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 further platforms. In 2013, the series was relabeled as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Special Elements

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and appeared as an progression of titles from the N64 era, due to improved graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that impression only heightened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds modes not found on its PS2 version, including three special minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," tests players with 500 wrestling questions covering everything from music and finishers to history and feuds, occasionally using audio clips or video snippets. The other two minigames are a poker game and "Eugene’s Airplane," where players direct Eugene (whose character is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Legacy

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very whacky, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward total simulations with the 2K games, lacking the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as time capsules of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are longing for a comparable, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the delight of seeing a celebrity celebrating the excellence of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Alternatively SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and represents an equally great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.