🔗 Share this article Retro Grappling Game Steals the Limelight at Cena's Last Monday Night Raw Appearance The 17th of November installment of Monday Night Raw aired on Netflix showcased Cena's last performance on the show as an active wrestler. It also saw the reappearance and showdown between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns as they teamed up with their individual groups for the upcoming 5-on-5 match at WarGames. Wedged in between the thrills were shockers like AJ Lee helping Maxxine Dupri claim the women's Intercontinental Championship, and Dolph Ziggler making a comeback. In such a packed Madison Square Garden show, the spotlight was taken by Lil Yachty, when he displayed his silver PSP for the camera, revealing he was playing SmackDown! vs Raw 2006. Trending Moment: Lil Yachty and His Handheld Device Despite everything that happened on this landmark Raw, it was Lil Yachty and his PSP that went viral. Is it because of pop culture's enduring love for Sony's mobile device? Could it be because people fondly remember the greatness of the SmackDown! vs. Raw franchise? Or perhaps, because WWE fans have little enthusiasm for the more recent 2K games? Exploring SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006: A Iconic Game For those who don't know, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 marked the franchise's debut on the PSP and was the last entry in the SmackDown! vs. Raw line to remain PlayStation-exclusive. The game transitioned the franchise toward more realism and authenticity, moving away from the fast-paced feel of earlier titles. It added a new momentum bar that controlled 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 drained as matches grew more intense; flashier moves meant faster fatigue. SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 ultimately became the best-selling PlayStation 2 entry in the entire series. Progression of the Series The line commenced with WWF SmackDown! on the original PlayStation and persisted as an regular release, excluding 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 relabeled as WWE 2K, starting with WWE 2K14. Features and Unique Elements Previously, the SmackDown! vs. Raw games dominated and felt like an progression of titles from the N64 era, because of upgraded 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 version of SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 includes features not found on its PS2 version, including three special 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 steer Eugene (whose persona is being an intellectually challenged wrestling savant) around the ring as quickly as possible. Nostalgia and Legacy The older SmackDown! vs. Raw games were very eccentric, even when they aimed for more realistic gameplay. The franchise moved toward total simulations with the 2K games, devoid of the creative ideas of their predecessors. But the older titles also acted as reminders of some of our favorite eras of wrestling. Maybe fans are longing for a comparable, more "fun-based" time in their wrestling games. It could be the joy of seeing a celebrity honoring 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 genuinely outstanding, and reflects an equally great era of wrestling, one that was led by John Cena, who will bow out from in-ring competition on December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.