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The Nov. 17 installment of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix showcased John Cena's ultimate performance on the program as an competing wrestler. It also experienced the return and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Among the excitement were shockers like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden event, 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

Regardless of everything that went down on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Could it be because of the public's enduring love for Sony's handheld console? Might it be because people nostalgically recall the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the latest 2K games?

Delving Into SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Title

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 represented the franchise's debut on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game transitioned the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, steering clear of the fast-paced feel of earlier titles. It brought in a new momentum gauge that controlled the flow of a match, replacing the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could opt to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a stamina system that decreased as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the best-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Evolution of the Franchise

The franchise began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an yearly release, excluding in 2021. It remained a exclusive to PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which introduced the franchise to additional platforms. In 2013, the series was relabeled as WWE 2K, beginning with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Special Content

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and appeared as an advancement of titles from the N64 era, due to enhanced graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that feeling only heightened as titles with crisp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds elements not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three special side games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," tests players with 500 wrestling questions including everything from music and finishers to history and feuds, occasionally 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 developmentally disabled wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Heritage

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very whacky, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as time capsules of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are nostalgic for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the joy of seeing a celebrity honoring the excellence of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and represents an just as great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will step away from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.