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The November 17 edition of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix included Cena's final appearance on the show as an active wrestler. Moreover witnessed the reappearance 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. Among the excitement were surprises like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden spectacle, the focus was taken by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Moment: The Rapper and His Handheld Device

Regardless 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 society's lasting love for Sony's portable system? Might it be because people nostalgically recall the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the newer 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Title

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the series' first appearance on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game shifted the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum meter that controlled the flow of a match, substituting for 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 drained as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the top-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Evolution of the Line

The line commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on 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 renamed as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14.

Features and Exclusive Elements

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

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds features not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three exclusive minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," quizzes players with 500 wrestling questions encompassing 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 steer Eugene (whose gimmick is being an developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Impact

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward complete simulations with the 2K games, missing the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as time capsules of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are longing for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the joy of seeing a celebrity honoring the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks cheer for Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was truly exceptional, and reflects an equally great era of wrestling, one that was led 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.