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The November 17 episode of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix included John Cena's ultimate performance on the show as an competing wrestler. It also witnessed the return and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their respective groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the excitement were shockers like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, 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.

Trending Incident: 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. Is it because of pop culture's undying love for Sony's mobile device? Might it be because people fondly remember the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the newer 2K games?

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

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the franchise's introduction on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game moved the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, steering clear of the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum gauge that controlled the flow of a match, replacing the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could choose to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a stamina system that drained as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the best-selling PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Development of the Series

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

Gameplay and Unique Content

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and felt like an progression of titles from the N64 era, due to enhanced graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that impression only intensified as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were gradually introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes modes not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three unique minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," quizzes 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 direct Eugene (whose persona is being an developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Legacy

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

It's possible fans are nostalgic for a comparable, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the delight of seeing a celebrity celebrating the excellence of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks cheer for Yachty. Alternatively SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and reflects an equally great era of wrestling, one that was ruled 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.