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The 17th of November episode of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix featured Cena's ultimate appearance on the show as an competing wrestler. It also saw the comeback and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their individual groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the thrills were surprises like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden show, the spotlight was taken by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Moment: The Rapper and His PSP

Despite everything that went down on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Is it because of society's undying love for Sony's portable system? Could it be because people nostalgically recall the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans aren't interested in the newer 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Game

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the franchise's debut on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game moved the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, departing from the fast-paced feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum gauge that controlled 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 stamina system that drained as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the top-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Progression of the Franchise

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

Features and Special Content

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and felt like an evolution of titles from the N64 era, because of upgraded graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that feeling only strengthened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes modes not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three exclusive mini-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, sometimes using audio clips or video snippets. The other two minigames are a poker game and "Eugene’s Airplane," where players steer Eugene (whose persona is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Sentiment and Heritage

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very whacky, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward total simulations with the 2K games, missing the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as reminders of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are sentimental for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the pleasure of seeing a celebrity celebrating the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks cheer for Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and represents an equally 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.