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The November 17 episode of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix featured John Cena's ultimate appearance on the program as an active wrestler. It also experienced 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 surprises like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the focus was taken by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Event: The Rapper and His PSP

In spite of everything that went down on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Is it because of the public's undying love for Sony's mobile device? Could it be because people cherish the memory of the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans don't care for the latest 2K games?

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

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the series' debut on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game transitioned the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum meter that dictated 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 diminished as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the most popular PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Progression of the Series

The series started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted as an yearly release, except in 2021. It remained a exclusive to PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which introduced the franchise to other platforms. In 2013, the series was renamed as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Exclusive Content

In the past, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and felt like an advancement of titles from the N64 era, because of enhanced graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that impression only intensified as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes elements not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three special mini-games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges players with 500 wrestling questions covering 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 steer Eugene (whose persona 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 aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward complete simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as snapshots of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are nostalgic for a alike, 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 applaud 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 step away from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.