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The November 17 installment of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix included John Cena's final appearance on the program as an active wrestler. It also witnessed the reappearance and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their individual groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the action were shockers like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a packed Madison Square Garden event, the attention was taken by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Popular Incident: Lil Yachty and His PSP

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

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Timeless Title

Uninitiated fans, 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 shifted the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, steering clear of the fast-paced 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 decreased as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the most popular PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Progression of the Franchise

The series began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an regular release, excluding in 2021. It remained a exclusive to 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 Elements

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and seemed like an advancement of titles from the N64 era, due to enhanced graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that sensation only heightened as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes features not found on its PS2 version, including three exclusive mini-games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges players with 500 wrestling questions including everything from music and finishers to history and feuds, at times 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 intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Sentiment and Heritage

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

It's possible fans are nostalgic for a comparable, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the joy of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Alternatively SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and represents an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.