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The November 17 installment of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix showcased Cena's final performance on the show as an active wrestler. Additionally saw the comeback and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their individual groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the excitement were surprises like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden show, the focus was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Moment: Lil Yachty and His Handheld Device

Despite everything that transpired on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Might it be because of society's undying love for Sony's handheld console? Could it be because people cherish the memory of the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans aren't interested in the more recent 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Game

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the franchise's debut 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 arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum gauge 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 stamina system that drained as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the most popular PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Progression of the Series

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

Features and Exclusive Modes

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and felt like an progression of titles from the N64 era, thanks to enhanced graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that sensation only heightened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features features not found on its PS2 version, including three special mini-games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," quizzes 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 steer Eugene (whose character is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Impact

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward complete simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as reminders of some of our cherished eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are longing for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the joy of seeing a celebrity celebrating the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was truly exceptional, and reflects an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was ruled by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.