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The November 17 edition of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured John Cena's last performance on the program as an competing wrestler. Moreover witnessed the reappearance and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned with their respective groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the thrills were shockers like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden show, the focus was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Popular Incident: The Rapper and His Portable Console

In spite of everything that happened on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Might it be because of society's enduring love for Sony's mobile device? Is it because people nostalgically recall the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans don't care for the more recent 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Timeless Release

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the series' first appearance on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game moved the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, steering clear of the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum meter that controlled the flow of a match, substituting for 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 diminished 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 Franchise

The series commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted as an yearly release, excluding in 2021. It remained a PlayStation exclusive until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which introduced the franchise to further platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, commencing with WWE 2K14.

Features and Unique Elements

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and seemed like an advancement of titles from the N64 era, due to enhanced graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that impression only heightened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds modes 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 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 steer Eugene (whose persona is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Legacy

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward total simulations with the 2K games, lacking the creative 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. Maybe the pleasure of seeing a celebrity celebrating the excellence of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks clamor for Yachty. Alternatively SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and represents an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on the 13th of December, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.