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The November 17 installment of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix included John Cena's final performance on the program as an competing wrestler. Moreover saw the comeback and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the excitement were shockers like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden show, the focus was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Moment: The Rapper and His PSP

Regardless of everything that happened on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Is it because of pop culture's undying love for Sony's handheld console? Could it be because people fondly remember the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the more recent 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Timeless Release

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the franchise's introduction on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game moved the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It brought in a new momentum meter that governed 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 stamina mechanic that diminished as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately 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 continued as an annual release, except 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 relabeled as WWE 2K, commencing with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Unique Content

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and appeared as an advancement of titles from the N64 era, thanks to improved graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that feeling only strengthened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and story-driven storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds features not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three special 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, at times 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.

Retro Appeal and Legacy

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned toward complete simulations with the 2K games, lacking the innovative 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. Maybe the pleasure of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the excellence of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and represents an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was ruled by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.