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The 17th of November episode of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix included John Cena's final appearance on the show as an competing wrestler. Moreover witnessed the return and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their individual groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the excitement were unexpected moments like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a packed Madison Square Garden event, the attention was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Incident: The Rapper and His PSP

Despite everything that happened on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Might it be because of pop culture's lasting love for Sony's portable system? Could it be because people fondly remember the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans aren't interested in the latest 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Game

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the franchise's first appearance on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game transitioned the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum gauge that controlled 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 diminished as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the best-selling PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Development of the Franchise

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

Features and Special Modes

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

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds elements not found on its PS2 version, including three unique minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges 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 gimmick is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Sentiment and Impact

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned toward complete simulations with the 2K games, lacking the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as snapshots of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

Perhaps fans are nostalgic for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the pleasure of seeing a celebrity celebrating the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks cheer for Yachty. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was truly exceptional, and mirrors an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was led 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.