🔗 Share this article

The Nov. 17 episode of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured Cena's final appearance on the program as an competing wrestler. It also experienced the reappearance and confrontation between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned with their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the excitement were surprises like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden show, the attention was taken by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Moment: Lil Yachty and His Handheld Device

Regardless of everything that transpired on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Could it be because of society's undying love for Sony's handheld console? Might it be because people fondly remember the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans aren't interested in the more recent 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Title

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the series' introduction on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game shifted the franchise toward greater 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, taking the place of 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; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the top-selling PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Progression of the Series

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

Features and Exclusive Elements

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and seemed like an evolution of titles from the N64 era, because of upgraded graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that impression only heightened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds elements not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three exclusive minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," quizzes players with 500 wrestling questions including 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 steer Eugene (whose character is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Heritage

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, lacking the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as snapshots of some of our cherished eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are longing for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the joy of seeing a celebrity celebrating the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was truly exceptional, and reflects an equally great era of wrestling, one that was led 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.