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The 17th of November edition of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix included John Cena's last performance on the show as an active wrestler. Moreover witnessed the reappearance and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their individual groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the thrills were shockers like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the focus was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Event: The Rapper and His Handheld Device

Regardless of everything that happened on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Is it because of society's enduring love for Sony's handheld console? Is it because people nostalgically recall the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans don't care for the latest 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Game

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the series' introduction on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game shifted the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum bar that controlled 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 endurance feature that drained as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the most popular PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Development of the Line

The line started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted 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 renamed as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Unique Elements

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and felt like an evolution of titles from the N64 era, thanks to enhanced graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that impression only strengthened as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds features not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three exclusive minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," tests 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.

Retro Appeal and Legacy

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very whacky, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, lacking the innovative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as snapshots of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are longing for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the pleasure 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. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was truly exceptional, and reflects an just as great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will step away from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.