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The November 17 installment of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix included Cena's last appearance on the program as an active wrestler. It also experienced the comeback and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned with their respective groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the thrills were shockers like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the focus was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Event: Lil Yachty and His Handheld Device

Despite everything that transpired on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Might it be because of society's undying love for Sony's mobile device? Is it because people nostalgically recall the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans aren't interested in the latest 2K games?

Delving Into SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Game

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the series' first appearance on the PSP and was the final 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-style feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum bar 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 diminished as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the best-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Evolution of the Line

The line began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted 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 relabeled as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Unique Content

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and seemed like an evolution of titles from the N64 era, because of improved graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that feeling only heightened as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were steadily introduced.

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

Retro Appeal and Legacy

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward total simulations with the 2K games, lacking the innovative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as snapshots of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

Perhaps fans are nostalgic for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the delight of seeing a celebrity celebrating the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks clamor for Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and mirrors an equally great era of wrestling, one that was ruled 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.