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The Nov. 17 installment of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured Cena's ultimate performance on the show as an active wrestler. Moreover witnessed the return and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned with their individual groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the action were unexpected moments like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden show, the attention was taken 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

Regardless of everything that transpired on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Might it be because of the public's lasting love for Sony's portable system? Might it be because people nostalgically recall the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the latest 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Title

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the series' first appearance on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game moved the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum gauge that dictated 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 endurance feature that drained as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the most popular PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Progression of the Series

The series started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an annual release, aside from in 2021. It remained a exclusive to PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which expanded the franchise to further platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Exclusive 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 strengthened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features elements not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three special side games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," quizzes 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 gimmick is being an developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Heritage

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

It's possible fans are longing for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the joy of seeing a celebrity celebrating the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and reflects an just as great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.