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The 17th of November installment of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix featured Cena's ultimate appearance on the show as an competing wrestler. Moreover saw the return and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned with their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the action were surprises like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the spotlight was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Moment: The Rapper and His PSP

Despite everything that transpired on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Could it be because of the public's undying love for Sony's portable system? Could it be because people cherish the memory of the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans don't care for the more recent 2K games?

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

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the series' debut on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game moved the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum meter that dictated the flow of a match, replacing the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could decide to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a endurance feature that diminished as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the best-selling PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Development of the Line

The franchise began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted as an yearly release, aside from in 2021. It remained a only on PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which introduced the franchise to additional platforms. In 2013, the series was renamed as WWE 2K, commencing with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Exclusive Content

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and seemed like an advancement of titles from the N64 era, thanks to enhanced graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that feeling only intensified as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were gradually introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes features not found on its PS2 version, including three exclusive mini-games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," tests 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 gimmick is being an developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Sentiment and Impact

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, lacking the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as reminders of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are longing for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the joy of seeing a celebrity honoring the excellence of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks cheer for Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and reflects an equally great era of wrestling, one that was ruled by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.