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The Nov. 17 episode of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix featured Cena's final appearance on the program as an active wrestler. Moreover experienced the return and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned with their individual groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the thrills were unexpected moments like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the spotlight was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Popular Moment: The Rapper and His PSP

In spite of everything that happened on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Is it because of pop culture's undying love for Sony's portable system? Is it because people nostalgically recall the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the more recent 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Release

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the series' debut on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game transitioned the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, steering clear of the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum meter that controlled the flow of a match, taking the place of 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 top-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Development of the Franchise

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

Innovations and Special Elements

In the past, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and seemed like an progression of titles from the N64 era, because of enhanced graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that feeling only heightened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes features not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three special minigames 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 guide Eugene (whose persona is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Sentiment and Legacy

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward total simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the innovative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as reminders of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

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