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The November 17 episode of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured John Cena's ultimate performance on the program as an active wrestler. It also saw the comeback and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their individual groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the thrills were surprises like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden event, the spotlight was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Moment: Lil Yachty and His Portable Console

Despite everything that transpired on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Might it be because of pop culture's enduring love for Sony's mobile device? Could it be because people fondly remember the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans don't care for the latest 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Title

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the franchise's first appearance on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game shifted the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum meter that dictated 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 drained as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the most popular PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Evolution of the Line

The line started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an regular release, excluding in 2021. It remained a exclusive to PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which brought the franchise to further platforms. In 2013, the series was renamed as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Innovations and Exclusive Elements

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and appeared as an progression of titles from the N64 era, because of improved graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that sensation only heightened as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds elements not found on its PS2 version, including three unique minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges players with 500 wrestling questions encompassing 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 direct Eugene (whose persona is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Impact

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward total simulations with the 2K games, lacking the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as snapshots of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are sentimental for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the delight of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Alternatively SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and reflects an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on the 13th of December, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.