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The 17th of November edition of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured Cena's final appearance on the program as an competing wrestler. It also saw the comeback 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 excitement were surprises like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a packed Madison Square Garden show, the attention was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Moment: Lil Yachty and His Portable Console

In spite of everything that happened on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Might it be because of the public's enduring love for Sony's handheld console? Might it be because people fondly remember the greatness 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 Title

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the franchise's first appearance on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game transitioned the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, moving away from the fast-paced feel of earlier titles. It brought in a new momentum meter that governed the flow of a match, substituting for 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; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the most popular PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Development of the Franchise

The franchise began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on 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 other platforms. In 2013, the series was renamed as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Special Modes

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and felt like an evolution of titles from the N64 era, because of enhanced graphics. When the franchise transitioned 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 features modes not found on its PS2 version, including three exclusive minigames 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 persona is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Heritage

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward total simulations with the 2K games, lacking the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as snapshots of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

Perhaps fans are nostalgic for a comparable, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the pleasure of seeing a celebrity honoring the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and reflects an just as 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.