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The November 17 episode of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix featured John Cena's final appearance on the program as an active wrestler. It also saw the return and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned with their respective groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the thrills were shockers like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the spotlight was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Incident: The Rapper and His PSP

Regardless of everything that went down on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Is it because of the public's undying love for Sony's mobile device? Could it be because people fondly remember the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the newer 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Game

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the franchise's first appearance on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game moved the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, steering clear of the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum meter that dictated 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 system that diminished as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the top-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Development of the Franchise

The franchise started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted as an regular release, aside from in 2021. It remained a PlayStation exclusive until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which expanded the franchise to further platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Features and Unique Elements

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and felt like an advancement of titles from the N64 era, due to enhanced graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that sensation only heightened as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features features not found on its PS2 counterpart, 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, occasionally 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 special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Heritage

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward complete simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as snapshots of some of our beloved 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. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, 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.