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The 17th of November episode of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix showcased Cena's last appearance on the program as an active wrestler. Moreover saw the reappearance and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the excitement were shockers like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a packed Madison Square Garden event, the spotlight was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, indicating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Event: The Rapper and His PSP

Despite everything that happened on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Could it be because of the public's enduring love for Sony's portable system? Might it be because people nostalgically recall the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans don't care for the more recent 2K games?

Examining SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Title

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the franchise's introduction on the PSP and was the last 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-like feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum bar that governed 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 mechanic that diminished as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the most popular PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Evolution of the Franchise

The franchise started with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted 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 renamed as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14.

Gameplay and Unique Elements

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games were top-tier and appeared as an progression of titles from the N64 era, due to upgraded graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that impression only intensified as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were gradually introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes elements not found on its PS2 equivalent, 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, at times 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 intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Impact

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned toward total simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the out-of-the-box ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as snapshots of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

Perhaps fans are longing 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 cheer for Yachty. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was genuinely outstanding, and represents an equally great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will retire from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.