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The November 17 installment of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix featured Cena's ultimate appearance on the program as an competing wrestler. Additionally witnessed the reappearance and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their individual groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the action were unexpected moments like AJ Lee assisting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler returning. In such a packed Madison Square Garden show, the focus was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Event: The Rapper and His Handheld Device

Despite everything that went down on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that trended online. Might it be because of pop culture's lasting love for Sony's portable system? Could it be because people nostalgically recall the excellence of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or is it, because WWE fans aren't interested in the more recent 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Title

Uninitiated fans, 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 transitioned the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum gauge that governed the flow of a match, substituting for 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 diminished as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 finally became the top-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Development of the Series

The franchise commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and continued as an annual release, aside from in 2021. It remained a exclusive to PlayStation until WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, which expanded the franchise to further platforms. In 2013, the series was rebranded as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14.

Features and Unique Content

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and seemed like an advancement of titles from the N64 era, because of enhanced graphics. When the franchise shifted to PlayStation 2, that feeling only strengthened as titles with clear 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 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 guide Eugene (whose character is being an special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Impact

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

It's possible fans are longing for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the joy of seeing a celebrity celebrating the excellence of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Or perhaps SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was truly exceptional, and mirrors 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.