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The 17th of November edition of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix showcased Cena's final appearance on the show as an competing wrestler. It also witnessed the return and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their individual groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the thrills were surprises like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a packed Madison Square Garden show, the spotlight was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Moment: Lil Yachty and His Handheld Device

Regardless of everything that happened on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Could it be because of society's enduring love for Sony's portable system? Could it be because people nostalgically recall the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans aren't interested in the latest 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Release

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the franchise's first appearance on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game shifted the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, steering clear of the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum bar that dictated the flow of a match, replacing the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could opt to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a stamina mechanic that diminished as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the best-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Evolution of the Line

The series began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted as an annual release, aside from in 2021. It remained a only on PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which expanded the franchise to additional platforms. In 2013, the series was renamed as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Exclusive Modes

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and felt like an advancement of titles from the N64 era, thanks to enhanced graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that impression only heightened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features modes not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three exclusive side games 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, sometimes using audio clips or video snippets. The other two minigames are a poker game and "Eugene’s Airplane," where players guide Eugene (whose persona is being an developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Heritage

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward complete simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as snapshots of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are nostalgic for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the delight of seeing a celebrity honoring the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and reflects an just as great era of wrestling, one that was ruled by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on the 13th of December, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.