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The 17th of November installment of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix included Cena's final appearance on the show as an competing wrestler. It also saw the comeback and confrontation 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 thrills were shockers like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden spectacle, the spotlight was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Popular Event: Lil Yachty and His Portable Console

Regardless of everything that went down on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Is it because of society's enduring love for Sony's handheld console? Is it because people fondly remember the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans don't care for the newer 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 ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game shifted the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum gauge that controlled the flow of a match, taking the place of 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 decreased as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the best-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Development of the Line

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

Features and Special Elements

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and appeared as an evolution of titles from the N64 era, because of improved graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that feeling only strengthened as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds elements not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three exclusive side games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," tests players with 500 wrestling questions covering 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 steer Eugene (whose gimmick is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Sentiment and Impact

The previous SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward complete simulations with the 2K games, lacking the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as time capsules of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

Perhaps fans are longing for a comparable, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the joy of seeing a celebrity honoring the excellence 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 equally great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.