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The November 17 installment of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix featured Cena's ultimate performance on the program as an competing wrestler. It also saw the comeback and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the excitement were surprises like AJ Lee supporting 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 stolen by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Moment: The Rapper and His Handheld Device

Despite everything that happened on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Might it be because of the public's undying love for Sony's handheld console? Is it because people nostalgically recall the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the more recent 2K games?

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

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the series' introduction on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game shifted the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum bar that controlled the flow of a match, substituting for the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could decide 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 release in the entire series.

Progression of the Series

The franchise started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an annual release, aside from in 2021. It remained a exclusive to PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which brought the franchise to other platforms. In 2013, the series was renamed as WWE 2K, commencing with WWE 2K14.

Innovations and Special Elements

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and seemed like an progression of titles from the N64 era, thanks to improved graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that feeling only strengthened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were gradually introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds features not found on its PS2 version, including three special mini-games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," tests players with 500 wrestling questions including 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 gimmick is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Sentiment and Legacy

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very whacky, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, missing the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as time capsules of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are nostalgic for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the pleasure of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to 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 reflects an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.