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The Nov. 17 installment of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured Cena's ultimate appearance on the show as an active wrestler. It also saw the reappearance and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned with their individual groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the thrills were shockers like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a jam-packed 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.

Viral Incident: The Rapper and His Portable Console

Regardless of everything that went down on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Might it be because of society's enduring love for Sony's mobile device? Might it be because people cherish the memory of the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans don't care for the newer 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Game

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the series' first appearance 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 increased realism and authenticity, moving away from the fast-paced feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum gauge 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 drained as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the most popular PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Progression of the Series

The line commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted 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 renamed as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14.

Innovations and Unique Content

In the past, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and felt like an evolution of titles from the N64 era, due to enhanced graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that feeling only heightened as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features modes not found on its PS2 version, including three special minigames 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, sometimes 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 intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Legacy

The earlier 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, missing the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as reminders 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 celebrating 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 truly exceptional, and reflects an equally great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will bow out from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.