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The 17th of November edition of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix showcased John Cena's last performance on the program as an active wrestler. Additionally experienced the reappearance and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their individual groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the excitement were unexpected moments like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden event, the spotlight was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Moment: Lil Yachty and His Handheld Device

Regardless of everything that went down on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Might it be because of pop culture's lasting love for Sony's portable system? Could it be because people nostalgically recall the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans don't care for the newer 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Timeless Game

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the franchise's debut on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game shifted the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, steering clear of the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum bar that controlled 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 decreased as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the top-selling PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Evolution of the Line

The line began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued as an annual release, except in 2021. It remained a exclusive to PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which introduced the franchise to further platforms. In 2013, the series was relabeled as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14.

Features and Special Modes

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and appeared as an evolution of titles from the N64 era, thanks to enhanced graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that sensation only strengthened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features features not found on its PS2 version, including three exclusive side games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," tests 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 direct Eugene (whose gimmick is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Heritage

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward complete simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the innovative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as time capsules of some of our cherished eras of wrestling.

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