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The 17th of November edition of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix showcased John Cena's last appearance on the program as an competing wrestler. It also witnessed the reappearance and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned with their respective groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the thrills were surprises like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a packed Madison Square Garden show, the attention was taken by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Incident: Lil Yachty and His Portable Console

Regardless of everything that went down on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Could it be because of the public's enduring love for Sony's handheld console? Is it because people nostalgically recall the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the newer 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Release

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the series' introduction on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game moved the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-like 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 endurance feature that drained as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the best-selling PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Development of the Series

The series commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued as an yearly release, excluding in 2021. It remained a exclusive to PlayStation 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 Exclusive Modes

In the past, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and seemed like an progression of titles from the N64 era, because of upgraded graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that sensation only heightened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features modes not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three exclusive minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," quizzes players with 500 wrestling questions including 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 direct Eugene (whose gimmick is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Impact

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

Maybe fans are nostalgic for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the joy of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the excellence of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks clamor for Yachty. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and represents an equally great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will bow out from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.