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The Nov. 17 installment of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix featured John Cena's final performance on the show as an active wrestler. Additionally experienced the comeback and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned with their respective groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the thrills were shockers like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the spotlight was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Event: Lil Yachty and His PSP

Regardless of everything that happened on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Is it because of pop culture's undying love for Sony's portable system? Is it because people fondly remember the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans don't care for the latest 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Title

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the franchise's first appearance on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game transitioned the franchise toward greater 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, substituting for 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 diminished as matches grew more intense; showier 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 series commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an regular release, except in 2021. It remained a only on PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which expanded the franchise to further platforms. In 2013, the series was relabeled as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Exclusive Elements

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 enhanced graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that feeling only intensified as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds features not found on its PS2 version, including three unique side games 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, sometimes 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 intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Legacy

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

It's possible fans are sentimental for a comparable, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the delight of seeing a celebrity celebrating the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was truly exceptional, and reflects an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was ruled 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.