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The November 17 edition of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix included Cena's final appearance on the program as an active wrestler. Additionally witnessed the comeback and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their individual groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the action were unexpected moments like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden event, the attention 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 PSP

Regardless of everything that transpired on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Is it because of the public's lasting love for Sony's handheld console? Could it be because people nostalgically recall the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans aren't interested in the latest 2K games?

Delving Into SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Game

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the series' debut on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game shifted the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, steering clear of the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum bar that dictated the flow of a match, replacing 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 decreased as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the most popular PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Development of the Franchise

The series 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 renamed as WWE 2K, commencing with WWE 2K14.

Innovations and Special Elements

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and appeared as an evolution of titles from the N64 era, because of enhanced graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that feeling only strengthened as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were gradually introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features elements not found on its PS2 version, including three unique 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, at times 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 special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Sentiment and Heritage

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

It's possible fans are longing for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the pleasure of seeing a celebrity honoring the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks clamor for Yachty. Alternatively SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and reflects an equally great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.