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The November 17 edition of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix showcased John Cena's final performance on the program as an competing wrestler. Additionally witnessed the reappearance and confrontation 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 helping Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a packed Madison Square Garden event, the attention was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Event: The Rapper and His Portable Console

Regardless of everything that transpired on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Could it be because of the public's undying love for Sony's portable system? Is it because people nostalgically recall the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the latest 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Game

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the series' first appearance on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game shifted the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum gauge 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; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the top-selling PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Development of the Line

The line began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an yearly release, except in 2021. It remained a exclusive to PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which brought the franchise to additional platforms. In 2013, the series was relabeled as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Innovations and Unique Modes

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

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes features not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three exclusive side games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," tests 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 direct Eugene (whose gimmick is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Sentiment and Heritage

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward complete simulations with the 2K games, lacking the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as reminders of some of our cherished eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are sentimental for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the pleasure of seeing a celebrity honoring the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks cheer for Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, 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 the 13th of December, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.