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The 17th of November edition of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix included John Cena's ultimate performance on the program as an competing wrestler. Additionally experienced the return and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the excitement were surprises like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a packed Madison Square Garden show, the focus was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Event: Lil Yachty and His PSP

In spite of everything that went down on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Might it be because of the public's lasting love for Sony's handheld console? Is it because people fondly remember the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans aren't interested in the newer 2K games?

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

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the series' introduction on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game moved the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum meter that controlled the flow of a match, taking the place of the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could decide to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a stamina mechanic that decreased as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the best-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Progression of the Series

The series commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an yearly release, excluding in 2021. It remained a PlayStation exclusive until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which brought the franchise to other platforms. In 2013, the series was renamed as WWE 2K, commencing with WWE 2K14.

Innovations and Unique Elements

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and seemed like an advancement of titles from the N64 era, because of improved graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that impression only heightened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes elements not found on its PS2 version, including three exclusive 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 direct Eugene (whose persona is being an developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Heritage

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

Perhaps fans are longing for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the joy of seeing a celebrity honoring the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and represents an equally great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on the 13th of December, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.