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The November 17 edition of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix featured Cena's last appearance on the show as an active wrestler. Additionally witnessed the return and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their individual groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the thrills were shockers like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the spotlight was taken by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Moment: The Rapper and His PSP

Despite everything that went down on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Might it be because of society's undying love for Sony's handheld console? Might it be because people nostalgically recall the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans don't care for the more recent 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Game

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the franchise's debut on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game transitioned the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum bar that dictated the flow of a match, taking the place of the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could opt 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 eventually became the most popular PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Progression of the Series

The series started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted as an regular release, except in 2021. It remained a exclusive to PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which introduced the franchise to further platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Special Content

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and appeared as an advancement of titles from the N64 era, thanks to enhanced graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that impression only intensified as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds features not found on its PS2 version, including three special minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," tests players with 500 wrestling questions covering 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 direct Eugene (whose character is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Legacy

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as reminders of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

Perhaps fans are longing for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the joy of seeing a celebrity honoring the excellence of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks cheer for Yachty. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and represents an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was ruled by John Cena, who will step away from in-ring competition on the 13th of December, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.