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The 17th of November edition of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix showcased Cena's ultimate appearance on the show as an competing wrestler. Additionally witnessed the reappearance and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their respective groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the thrills were surprises like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a packed Madison Square Garden show, the attention was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Incident: Lil Yachty and His Handheld Device

Regardless of everything that went down on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Is it because of pop culture's enduring love for Sony's mobile device? Could it be because people cherish the memory of the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans don't care for the more recent 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Timeless Game

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified 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 transitioned the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum gauge that controlled 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 system that drained 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.

Evolution of the Franchise

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

Features and Unique Content

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and seemed like an progression of titles from the N64 era, because of upgraded graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that impression only heightened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds elements not found on its PS2 version, including three unique mini-games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges 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 guide Eugene (whose gimmick 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 total simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as snapshots of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are longing for a comparable, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the delight of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks clamor for Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and reflects an equally 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.