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The Nov. 17 episode of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix showcased Cena's final appearance on the show as an competing wrestler. Moreover saw the reappearance and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their respective groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the excitement were surprises like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden event, the attention was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Incident: Lil Yachty and His Portable Console

In spite of everything that went down on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Might it be because of pop culture's enduring love for Sony's mobile device? Might it be because people fondly remember the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans aren't interested in the more recent 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic 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 exclusive to PlayStation. The game transitioned the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, departing from the fast-paced feel of earlier titles. It brought in a new momentum bar that governed the flow of a match, replacing 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 finally became the best-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Progression of the Franchise

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

Gameplay and Special Modes

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

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features features not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three special minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," quizzes players with 500 wrestling questions covering 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 steer Eugene (whose persona is being an developmentally disabled 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 transitioned toward complete simulations with the 2K games, missing the innovative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as snapshots of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are sentimental for a comparable, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the joy of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Alternatively SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was truly exceptional, and represents an just as great era of wrestling, one that was led 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.