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The 17th of November episode of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix showcased Cena's last performance on the show as an active wrestler. Additionally witnessed the return and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they aligned 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 win the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a packed Madison Square Garden event, the attention was taken by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Event: Lil Yachty and His PSP

Despite everything that went down on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Might it be because of pop culture's lasting love for Sony's handheld console? Could it be because people nostalgically recall the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans don't care 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 greater realism and authenticity, moving away from the fast-paced feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum gauge that controlled 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 decreased as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the top-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Development of the Line

The franchise began with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and carried on as an regular release, aside from in 2021. It remained a PlayStation exclusive until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which brought the franchise to additional platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, commencing with WWE 2K14.

Features and Exclusive Modes

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

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

Nostalgia and Heritage

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward complete simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also functioned as reminders of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are nostalgic for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the delight of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to the greatness of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and reflects an just as 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.