🔗 Share this article

The 17th of November episode of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix included Cena's final performance on the show as an active wrestler. Moreover experienced the comeback and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their individual groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the thrills were unexpected moments like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the attention was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Incident: Lil Yachty and His Portable Console

Despite everything that happened on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Might it be because of society's undying love for Sony's mobile device? Could it be because people nostalgically recall the greatness 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 Classic Game

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the franchise's debut 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 more realism and authenticity, departing from 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 choose to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a stamina system that diminished as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the best-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, excluding in 2021. It remained a only on PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which introduced the franchise to other platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, commencing with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Unique Content

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and felt like an evolution of titles from the N64 era, thanks to upgraded graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that feeling only intensified as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features features not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three special side games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," challenges players with 500 wrestling questions encompassing 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 intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Heritage

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, missing the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as reminders of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are nostalgic for a comparable, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the pleasure of seeing a celebrity celebrating the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks clamor for Yachty. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and reflects an equally great era of wrestling, one that was led 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.