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The November 17 episode of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix included Cena's final appearance on the show as an competing wrestler. Moreover saw the comeback and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their individual groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the thrills were surprises like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a packed Madison Square Garden event, the attention was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Popular Event: Lil Yachty and His Portable Console

Despite everything that went down on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Could it be because of society's enduring love for Sony's portable system? Might it be because people nostalgically recall the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the latest 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Timeless Title

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the franchise's debut 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 greater 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 opt to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a stamina mechanic that decreased as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the most popular PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Progression of the Line

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

Gameplay and Exclusive Content

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and felt like an progression of titles from the N64 era, because of enhanced graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that sensation only strengthened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features modes not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three unique side games 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 persona is being an developmentally disabled 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 sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, missing the innovative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as snapshots of some of our cherished eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are sentimental for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the joy of seeing a celebrity celebrating the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks cheer for Yachty. Otherwise 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 bow out from in-ring competition on December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.