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The 17th of November edition of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix included Cena's last performance on the program as an active wrestler. It also saw the reappearance and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their individual groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the thrills were surprises like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden show, the focus was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Incident: The Rapper and His Handheld Device

Despite 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 portable system? Is it because people nostalgically recall the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans aren't interested in the latest 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Game

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the series' debut on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game transitioned the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum meter that governed 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 ultimately became the most popular PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Progression of the Line

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

Features and Exclusive Elements

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and felt like an progression of titles from the N64 era, due to upgraded graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that feeling only heightened as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes elements not found on its PS2 version, including three unique mini-games 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, occasionally using audio clips or video snippets. The other two minigames are a poker game and "Eugene’s Airplane," where players steer Eugene (whose character is being an developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Legacy

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward total simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as snapshots of some of our cherished eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are longing for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the pleasure of seeing a celebrity celebrating the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Alternatively SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and represents an just as great era of wrestling, one that was dominated 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.