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The 17th of November edition of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured Cena's final performance on the program as an active wrestler. Additionally saw the return and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their respective groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the action were surprises like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden show, the focus was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Event: The Rapper and His PSP

In spite of everything that happened on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Might it be because of society's lasting love for Sony's handheld console? Is it because people cherish the memory of the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans don't care for the newer 2K games?

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

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the franchise's introduction on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game moved the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum gauge that governed the flow of a match, taking the place of the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could choose to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a endurance feature that decreased as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the best-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Evolution of the Franchise

The series commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted as an annual release, except in 2021. It remained a only on 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.

Gameplay and Unique Modes

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

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features modes not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three special minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," tests players with 500 wrestling questions including 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 steer Eugene (whose persona is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Sentiment and Legacy

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned toward total simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as reminders of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are nostalgic for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the joy of seeing a celebrity celebrating the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Alternatively SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was truly exceptional, and reflects an equally great era of wrestling, one that was ruled by John Cena, who will bow out from in-ring competition on December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.