Retro Grappling Game Steals the Limelight at Cena's Final Raw Appearance

The November 17 episode of Monday Night Raw broadcast on Netflix featured John Cena's final performance on the program as an competing wrestler. Additionally witnessed the comeback and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their individual groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the excitement were shockers like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a crowded Madison Square Garden event, the attention was taken by Lil Yachty, when he presented his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Incident: Lil Yachty and His Handheld Device

In spite of everything that transpired on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Is it because of the public's undying 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 latest 2K games?

Delving Into SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Release

Uninitiated fans, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 signified the franchise's debut on the PSP and was the ultimate entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain exclusive to PlayStation. The game moved the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, moving away from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum gauge 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 endurance feature that drained as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the best-selling PlayStation 2 installment in the entire series.

Evolution of the Line

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

Gameplay and Exclusive Modes

Back in the day, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and appeared as an progression of titles from the N64 era, due to improved graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that impression only heightened as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and role-playing storylines were consistently introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 features modes not found on its PS2 counterpart, including three exclusive mini-games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," quizzes 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 steer Eugene (whose character is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Sentiment and Legacy

The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they targeted more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward full-on simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also served as reminders of some of our beloved eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are nostalgic for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Maybe the delight of seeing a celebrity honoring the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Alternatively SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, and mirrors an similarly great era of wrestling, one that was dominated by John Cena, who will step away from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.