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The Nov. 17 installment of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix showcased John Cena's final performance on the program as an active wrestler. Additionally saw the reappearance and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their individual groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the thrills 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 show, the attention was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Moment: The Rapper and His Handheld Device

Despite everything that went down on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Might it be because of the public's lasting love for Sony's portable system? Could it be because people nostalgically recall the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans don't care for the newer 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Game

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the series' debut on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game moved the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It brought in a new momentum meter that dictated the flow of a match, substituting for 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 decreased as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the best-selling PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Development of the Series

The franchise started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an annual 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 relabeled as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Features and Exclusive Modes

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and felt like an progression of titles from the N64 era, due to enhanced graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that impression only heightened as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds features not found on its PS2 counterpart, 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, 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 special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Heritage

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very whacky, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward total simulations with the 2K games, lacking the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as time capsules of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are sentimental for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the delight of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to 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 truly exceptional, and mirrors an equally great era of wrestling, one that was ruled by John Cena, who will bow out from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.