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The Nov. 17 episode of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured John Cena's final performance on the show as an competing wrestler. Moreover experienced the comeback and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned with their individual groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the excitement were unexpected moments like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden show, the attention was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Popular Incident: The Rapper and His Handheld Device

Regardless of everything that transpired on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Might it be because of pop culture's enduring love for Sony's handheld console? Is it because people nostalgically recall the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the more recent 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Release

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the series' debut 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 more realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum meter that dictated 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 stamina system that diminished as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the top-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Progression of the Franchise

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

Innovations and Exclusive Content

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and seemed like an progression of titles from the N64 era, because of upgraded graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that impression only heightened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes features not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three unique minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges players with 500 wrestling questions encompassing 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 guide Eugene (whose gimmick is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Heritage

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

Perhaps fans are sentimental for a comparable, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the delight of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the brilliance 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 dominated by John Cena, who will step away from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.