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The 17th of November installment of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured John Cena's last performance on the program as an active wrestler. It also experienced the return and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their individual groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the thrills were unexpected moments like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a packed Madison Square Garden event, the spotlight was taken by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Event: Lil Yachty and His Handheld Device

In spite of everything that transpired on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Could it be because of society's undying love for Sony's mobile device? Might it be because people fondly remember the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the more recent 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Title

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the series' introduction on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game transitioned the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum bar that dictated 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 drained as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the best-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Evolution of the Franchise

The franchise commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an annual release, except in 2021. It remained a only on PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which brought the franchise to other platforms. In 2013, the series was renamed as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14.

Features and Unique Content

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and felt like an advancement of titles from the N64 era, thanks 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 gradually introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds features not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three special 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, sometimes using audio clips or video snippets. The other two minigames are a poker game and "Eugene’s Airplane," where players guide Eugene (whose character is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Heritage

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very whacky, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, lacking 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 pleasure of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks cheer for Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and reflects an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will step away from in-ring competition on the 13th of December, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.