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The 17th of November installment of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix included John Cena's last appearance on the show as an competing wrestler. Additionally witnessed the comeback and showdown 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 assisting Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a packed Madison Square Garden event, 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: Lil Yachty and His PSP

In spite of everything that happened on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Could it be because of society's lasting love for Sony's handheld console? Could it be because people cherish the memory of the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the more recent 2K games?

Delving Into SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Timeless Game

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the franchise's introduction on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game transitioned the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum bar that governed the flow of a match, replacing the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could opt to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a stamina system that drained as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the most popular PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Evolution of the Line

The series began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued as an regular release, excluding in 2021. It remained a only on PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which expanded the franchise to additional platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Features and Unique Content

In the past, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and appeared as 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 sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features elements not found on its PS2 version, including three special 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 steer Eugene (whose gimmick is being an developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Impact

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned toward complete simulations with the 2K games, lacking the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as reminders 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 paying tribute to 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 similarly great era of wrestling, one that was ruled by John Cena, who will bow out from in-ring competition on the 13th of December, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.