First things first: BCFx: The Doug Williams Edition ($40) is not a replacement for Madden 2010. If you’re looking for the best football game on the market, John Madden is still your man. But that doesn’t mean there’s not a place for Doug Williams, too. Williams, the first African-American quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl title as a member of the 1988 Washington Redskins, headlines the first console edition of BCFx (Black College Football Xperience, for those keeping score). And while the game isn’t Madden-esque just yet, it’s safe to say BCFx has a place on the field. Using the Unreal 3.0 engine, the game delivers the on-the-field action you’re looking for. But it also keeps a close eye on the rich history and pageantry associated with the college football teams that represent Historically Black Colleges and Universities by including an interactive halftime show complete with all the drama of a real-life HBCU game (see: plenty of marching bands) as well as a drum line challenge that puts the halftime action right in the palm your hands. Plus, it features a Legacy Museum that teaches you just about everything you’d ever want to know about HBCUs and college football—and a jukebox with songs performed by real HBCU marching bands. So while it may not be the Second Coming of Madden, it’s still more than worth the price of admission.
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Chris Yuscavage is the former lifestyle editor at VIBE and lives in Jersey City, N.J.
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