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The 17th of November episode of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix featured John Cena's final appearance on the program as an competing wrestler. Moreover saw the comeback and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their respective groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the excitement were shockers like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the attention was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Event: The Rapper and His Handheld Device

Regardless of everything that happened on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Might it be because of society's lasting love for Sony's mobile device? Is it because people fondly remember the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the latest 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Game

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the franchise's introduction on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game shifted the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It brought in a new momentum meter that controlled the flow of a match, taking the place of the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could choose to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a endurance feature that diminished as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the best-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Progression of the Series

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

Innovations and Unique Content

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and seemed like an progression of titles from the N64 era, because of upgraded graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that impression only strengthened as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were gradually introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes elements not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three exclusive minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges players with 500 wrestling questions covering 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 direct 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 eccentric, 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 acted as snapshots of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are nostalgic for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the joy of seeing a celebrity honoring the greatness 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 similarly great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.