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The Nov. 17 installment of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured Cena's last appearance on the show as an competing wrestler. It also saw the comeback and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their individual groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the thrills were unexpected moments like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden event, the focus was taken by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Event: Lil Yachty and His Portable Console

Despite everything that happened on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Could it be because of pop culture's undying love for Sony's portable system? Is it because people nostalgically recall the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans don't care for the more recent 2K games?

Delving Into SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Release

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the series' introduction on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game shifted the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It brought in a new momentum bar that governed the flow of a match, replacing 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; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the top-selling PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Evolution of the Series

The franchise commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted as an annual release, aside from 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.

Features and Exclusive Elements

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and seemed like an progression of titles from the N64 era, thanks to enhanced graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that feeling only heightened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes features not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three special minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges 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 gimmick is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Heritage

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

Maybe fans are longing 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 represents an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was ruled by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on the 13th of December, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.