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The November 17 episode of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured Cena's last appearance on the show as an competing wrestler. Moreover experienced the comeback and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they joined their respective groups for the forthcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the excitement were unexpected moments like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a packed Madison Square Garden event, the attention was grabbed by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Viral Moment: The Rapper and His PSP

Despite everything that went down on this historic Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that became a sensation. Might it be because of society's undying love for Sony's portable system? Is it because people cherish the memory of the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans don't care for the more recent 2K games?

Delving Into SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Classic Title

If you're unfamiliar, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the franchise's debut on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game transitioned the franchise toward increased realism and authenticity, departing from the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It introduced a new momentum meter that controlled 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 system that decreased as matches grew more intense; showier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the best-selling PlayStation 2 release in the entire series.

Progression of the Line

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

Innovations and Special Elements

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and seemed like an advancement of titles from the N64 era, because of improved graphics. When the franchise moved to PlayStation 2, that impression only strengthened as titles with sharp visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were gradually introduced.

The PSP release of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 adds features not found on its PS2 version, including three exclusive side games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," quizzes players with 500 wrestling questions covering 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 special needs wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Nostalgia and Heritage

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward total 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 favorite eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are longing for a similar, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the joy 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. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was truly exceptional, and mirrors an just as great era of wrestling, one that was ruled by John Cena, who will step away from in-ring competition on Dec. 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.