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The Nov. 17 episode of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix included John Cena's final performance on the show as an active wrestler. Moreover experienced the return and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the action were surprises like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden show, the focus was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Incident: Lil Yachty and His PSP

Despite everything that happened on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Might it be because of pop culture's enduring love for Sony's portable system? Is it because people nostalgically recall the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans don't care for the newer 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Game

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the franchise's debut on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game transitioned the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum gauge that governed the flow of a match, substituting for the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could choose to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a endurance feature that decreased as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the best-selling PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Development of the Series

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

Features and Unique Elements

In the past, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and seemed like an evolution of titles from the N64 era, because of enhanced graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that impression only intensified as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were gradually introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features modes not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three exclusive mini-games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges players with 500 wrestling questions covering 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 guide Eugene (whose persona is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Impact

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

Perhaps fans are sentimental for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the pleasure of seeing a celebrity celebrating the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks clamor for Yachty. Alternatively SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and represents an just as great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will bow out from in-ring competition on December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.