🔗 Share this article

The 17th of November installment of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix included 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 teamed up with their individual groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the thrills were surprises like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden spectacle, the attention was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Incident: The Rapper and His Handheld Device

Regardless of everything that went down on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Is it because of society's lasting love for Sony's handheld console? Is it because people fondly remember the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans don't care for the more recent 2K games?

Delving Into SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Game

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the franchise's first appearance on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game transitioned the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, steering clear of the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum meter that governed the flow of a match, replacing 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 drained as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the most popular PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Evolution of the Franchise

The line began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued as an yearly release, except in 2021. It remained a only on PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which introduced the franchise to further platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Features and Unique Content

In the past, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and seemed like an progression of titles from the N64 era, because of upgraded graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that feeling only intensified as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were consistently introduced.

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

Nostalgia and Impact

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward total simulations with the 2K games, missing the innovative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as snapshots of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are sentimental for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the pleasure of seeing a celebrity honoring the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks cheer for Yachty. Alternatively SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was truly exceptional, and represents an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will bow out from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.