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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 active wrestler. It also witnessed the reappearance and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their respective groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the thrills were surprises like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden show, the attention was taken by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Popular Incident: The Rapper and His PSP

Regardless of 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 portable system? Is it because people fondly remember the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the more recent 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Title

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the series' introduction 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 increased realism and authenticity, steering clear of the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It brought in a new momentum gauge that governed 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 stamina mechanic that decreased as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the top-selling PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Development of the Line

The franchise started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued as an regular release, except in 2021. It remained a PlayStation exclusive until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which expanded the franchise to additional platforms. In 2013, the series was renamed as WWE 2K, commencing with WWE 2K14.

Features and Special Content

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and felt like an evolution of titles from the N64 era, because of upgraded graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that sensation only strengthened as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes modes not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three exclusive side games 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, occasionally 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 developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Legacy

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

Maybe fans are nostalgic for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the pleasure of seeing a celebrity honoring the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks cheer for Yachty. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was truly exceptional, and represents an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will bow out from in-ring competition on the 13th of December, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.