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The November 17 installment of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix included John Cena's ultimate appearance on the show as an active wrestler. It also saw the comeback and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their respective groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the thrills were shockers like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden event, the attention was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Popular Moment: The Rapper and His Portable Console

Despite everything that happened on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Is it because of society's lasting love for Sony's portable system? Might it be because people fondly remember the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans aren't interested in the newer 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Game

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the series' debut on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game transitioned the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum gauge 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 stamina mechanic that decreased as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the top-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Evolution of the Franchise

The line began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an yearly release, excluding in 2021. It remained a exclusive to PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which expanded the franchise to other platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Special Content

In the past, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and seemed like an evolution of titles from the N64 era, due to upgraded graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that feeling only intensified as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes modes not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three special side games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," quizzes players with 500 wrestling questions covering everything from music and finishers to history and feuds, sometimes 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.

Retro Appeal and Impact

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very whacky, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned 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 cherished eras of wrestling.

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