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The November 17 edition of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix featured Cena's last appearance on the show as an competing wrestler. Moreover experienced the reappearance and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned with their respective groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the action were surprises like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a packed Madison Square Garden show, the spotlight was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Moment: Lil Yachty and His Handheld Device

Regardless of everything that transpired on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Could it be because of pop culture's lasting love for Sony's handheld console? Might it be because people fondly remember the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans aren't interested in the newer 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Game

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the series' debut on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game moved the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum gauge that dictated the flow of a match, replacing 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 decreased as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the most popular PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Development of the Line

The franchise commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted as an regular release, aside from in 2021. It remained a only on PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which brought the franchise to further platforms. In 2013, the series was relabeled as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14.

Features and Special Content

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and appeared as an progression of titles from the N64 era, due to upgraded graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that feeling only strengthened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features modes not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three unique minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," tests 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 direct Eugene (whose persona is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Heritage

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, missing the innovative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as reminders of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

Perhaps fans are sentimental for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be 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. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was truly exceptional, and reflects an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was ruled by John Cena, who will step away from in-ring competition on the 13th of December, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.