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The 17th of November edition of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix included John Cena's final appearance on the show as an active wrestler. It also saw the reappearance and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the action were unexpected moments like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the focus was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Popular Event: The Rapper and His Portable Console

Despite everything that happened on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Is it because of the public's enduring love for Sony's mobile device? Might it be because people nostalgically recall the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the newer 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Release

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the franchise's debut on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game moved the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, steering clear of the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum bar 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 endurance feature that drained as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the top-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Progression of the Line

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

Gameplay and Special Elements

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and appeared as an advancement of titles from the N64 era, due to enhanced graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that sensation only intensified as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were gradually introduced.

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

Nostalgia and Legacy

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward total simulations with the 2K games, missing the innovative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as reminders of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are longing for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the delight of seeing a celebrity honoring 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 reflects 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.