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The November 17 episode of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix included John Cena's last appearance on the program as an competing wrestler. Additionally experienced the comeback and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their individual groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the excitement were shockers like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden show, the spotlight was taken by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Event: The Rapper 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 undying love for Sony's mobile device? Is it because people cherish the memory of the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans aren't interested in the latest 2K games?

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

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked 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 greater realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum bar that governed the flow of a match, taking the place of the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could decide to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a stamina mechanic that diminished as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the top-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Development of the Franchise

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

Innovations and Exclusive Content

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and seemed like an advancement of titles from the N64 era, thanks to upgraded graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that impression only intensified as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds features not found on its PS2 version, including three exclusive 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, 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 intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Impact

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned 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 beloved eras of wrestling.

Perhaps fans are nostalgic for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the pleasure of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the excellence 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 represents an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.