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The Nov. 17 edition of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix featured Cena's last performance on the program as an active wrestler. It also witnessed the return and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned with their individual groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the action were unexpected moments like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the attention was taken by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Incident: Lil Yachty and His PSP

Despite everything that went down on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Is it because of pop culture's enduring love for Sony's mobile device? Is it because people cherish the memory of the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans don't care for the more recent 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Release

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the series' first appearance on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game moved the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, steering clear of the fast-paced feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum gauge that governed 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 stamina mechanic that diminished as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the best-selling PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Progression of the Series

The line commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an regular release, aside from in 2021. It remained a PlayStation exclusive 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 Special Elements

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and felt like an advancement of titles from the N64 era, due to improved graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that feeling only strengthened as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were gradually introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds elements not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three unique side games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges players with 500 wrestling questions including 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 guide Eugene (whose persona is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Impact

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, missing 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 similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the delight of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Alternatively SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and reflects an equally great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will bow out from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.