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The Nov. 17 edition of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured Cena's ultimate appearance on the show as an active wrestler. Additionally experienced the reappearance and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their individual groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the excitement were shockers like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a packed Madison Square Garden show, the focus was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Event: Lil Yachty and His Portable Console

In spite of everything that went down on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Might it be because of society's lasting love for Sony's portable system? Is it because people nostalgically recall the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans don't care for the more recent 2K games?

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

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the series' first appearance on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game transitioned the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, steering clear of the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It brought in a new momentum meter that dictated the flow of a match, taking the place of the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could choose to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a endurance feature that drained as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the most popular PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Evolution of the Line

The line began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted as an regular release, except 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, commencing with WWE 2K14.

Features and Special Content

In the past, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and felt like an evolution of titles from the N64 era, thanks to upgraded graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that feeling only strengthened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were gradually introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features elements not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three exclusive mini-games 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, at times using audio clips or video snippets. The other two minigames are a poker game and "Eugene’s Airplane," where players guide Eugene (whose character is being an developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Heritage

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward total simulations with the 2K games, missing the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as snapshots of some of our cherished eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are longing for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the delight of seeing a celebrity celebrating the excellence of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks clamor for Yachty. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and mirrors an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will bow out from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.