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The November 17 installment of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix featured Cena's final appearance on the show as an active wrestler. Moreover saw the comeback and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their individual groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the thrills were unexpected moments like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the spotlight was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Moment: The Rapper and His Portable Console

In spite of everything that happened on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Might it be because of pop culture's undying love for Sony's mobile device? Is it because people fondly remember the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans don't care for the more recent 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Title

Uninitiated fans, 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 exclusive to PlayStation. The game moved the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum bar 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 system that diminished as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the best-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Progression of the Franchise

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

Innovations and Unique Content

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and seemed like an advancement of titles from the N64 era, due to upgraded graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that sensation only strengthened as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds features not found on its PS2 version, including three special mini-games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," tests 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 steer Eugene (whose gimmick is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Legacy

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as time capsules of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are longing for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the delight of seeing a celebrity celebrating 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 truly exceptional, and mirrors an equally great era of wrestling, one that was ruled by John Cena, who will step away from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.