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The Nov. 17 installment of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix included Cena's final performance on the program as an active wrestler. Additionally experienced the reappearance and face-off 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 assisting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a jam-packed Madison Square Garden show, the focus was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Event: The Rapper and His PSP

In spite of everything that happened on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Is it because of the public's lasting love for Sony's portable system? 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 more recent 2K games?

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

Uninitiated fans, 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 shifted the franchise toward greater realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-style feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum gauge that dictated the flow of a match, substituting for 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 decreased as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the best-selling PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Progression of the Line

The line commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted as an yearly release, aside from 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 Exclusive Modes

In the past, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and appeared as an progression of titles from the N64 era, due to enhanced graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that sensation only heightened as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds modes not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three unique 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, 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 special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Heritage

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise transitioned 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 beloved eras of wrestling.

It's possible fans are nostalgic for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. Perhaps the joy of seeing a celebrity paying tribute to 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 really that great, and reflects an equally great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will step away from in-ring competition on the 13th of December, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.