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The 17th of November installment of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix featured John Cena's ultimate appearance on the program as an active wrestler. Moreover saw the return and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their respective groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the action were shockers 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 event, the spotlight was taken by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Moment: The Rapper 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 mobile device? Is it because people fondly remember the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the newer 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Game

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the franchise's first appearance on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game transitioned the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, steering clear of 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 endurance feature that decreased as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the best-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Development of the Line

The line started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued as an yearly release, excluding in 2021. It remained a PlayStation exclusive until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which brought the franchise to additional platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Special Elements

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and seemed like an evolution of titles from the N64 era, because of enhanced graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that feeling only strengthened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds elements not found on its PS2 version, including three unique minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," tests 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 direct Eugene (whose gimmick is being an developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Sentiment and Impact

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very whacky, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward total simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the innovative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as time capsules of some of our cherished eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are nostalgic for a comparable, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the delight 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 genuinely outstanding, and represents an equally great era of wrestling, one that was ruled by John Cena, who will bow out from in-ring competition on December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.