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The 17th of November installment of Monday Night Raw streamed on Netflix featured Cena's ultimate appearance on the show as an competing wrestler. It also experienced the comeback and face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their individual groups for the approaching 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Amidst the thrills were surprises like AJ Lee supporting Maxxine Dupri secure the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler reappearing. In such a packed Madison Square Garden event, the attention was stolen by Lil Yachty, when he showed off his silver PSP for the camera, demonstrating he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006.

Trending Incident: The Rapper and His Portable Console

Despite everything that went down on this memorable Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Might it be because of society's enduring love for Sony's mobile device? Might it be because people fondly remember the brilliance of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Alternatively, because WWE fans don't care for the latest 2K games?

Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Title

For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the franchise's introduction on the PSP and was the final entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain only on PlayStation. The game shifted the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, steering clear of the arcade-like feel of earlier titles. It brought in a new momentum meter that dictated the flow of a match, taking the place of the previous "clean/dirty" and "SmackDown!" meters. Players could decide to wrestle “clean” as a face or “dirty” as a heel, with a endurance feature that decreased as matches grew more intense; more elaborate moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 eventually became the most popular PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series.

Progression of the Series

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

Gameplay and Exclusive Elements

Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games reigned supreme and seemed like an evolution of titles from the N64 era, due to enhanced graphics. When the franchise transitioned to PlayStation 2, that sensation only strengthened as titles with clear visuals, new gaming modes, and RPG storylines were steadily introduced.

The PSP edition of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes elements not found on its PS2 equivalent, including three exclusive side games available from the start. The first, "WWE Game Show," tests 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 direct Eugene (whose gimmick is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible.

Retro Appeal and Legacy

The earlier SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very zany, even when they sought more realistic gameplay. The franchise shifted toward total simulations with the 2K games, lacking the innovative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as reminders of some of our favorite eras of wrestling.

Maybe fans are nostalgic for a alike, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the joy of seeing a celebrity celebrating the brilliance of the PSP, like the rest of the internet does, is what made folks applaud Yachty. Otherwise SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 was really that great, 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 December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.