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The Nov. 17 edition of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix featured Cena's final performance on the program as an competing wrestler. It also saw the return and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the excitement were unexpected moments like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a packed Madison Square Garden event, the attention was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Incident: The Rapper and His PSP

In spite of everything that transpired on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Might it be because of society's enduring love for Sony's handheld console? Could it be because people cherish the memory of the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans aren't interested in the newer 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Game

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the franchise's debut on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game shifted the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It brought in a new momentum meter that governed the flow of a match, taking the place of the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could opt to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a stamina system that decreased as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the top-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Progression of the Franchise

The franchise began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued as an annual release, excluding 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 rebranded as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Innovations and Unique Content

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and felt like an progression of titles from the N64 era, due to improved graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that impression only heightened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds modes not found on its PS2 version, including three unique mini-games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges players with 500 wrestling questions encompassing 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 character is being an developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Sentiment and Impact

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward total simulations with the 2K games, missing the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as time capsules of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are nostalgic for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the pleasure of seeing a celebrity celebrating the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks clamor for Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and reflects an just as great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will step away from in-ring competition on December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.