🔗 Share this article

The Nov. 17 episode of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix included Cena's ultimate appearance on the program as an competing wrestler. Moreover witnessed the reappearance and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their individual groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the action were shockers 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 focus was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Popular Incident: Lil Yachty and His Handheld Device

In spite of everything that went down on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Is it because of pop culture's enduring love for Sony's handheld console? Is it because people fondly remember the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans aren't interested in the latest 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Title

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the franchise's first appearance on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game shifted the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum meter 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; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the most popular 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 regular release, excluding in 2021. It remained a PlayStation exclusive until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which expanded the franchise to further platforms. In 2013, the series was renamed as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Features and Unique Modes

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and felt like an progression of titles from the N64 era, due to upgraded graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that feeling only strengthened as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds elements not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three exclusive minigames available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," quizzes players with 500 wrestling questions covering 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 direct Eugene (whose persona 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 aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward complete simulations with the 2K games, lacking the innovative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as snapshots of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are longing for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the pleasure 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. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was truly exceptional, and reflects an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will step away from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.