There’s something quietly delightful about revisiting a strange, long-forgotten gem – and Milano’s Odd Job Collection feels exactly like that: a little oddball secret finally emerging from obscurity. The game casts you as 11-year-old Milano, stranded alone for the summer in her uncle’s empty house, and tasks you with transforming her lonely 40-day stay into something meaningful: part-time jobs, chores, decorating the house, caring for a cat and even milking flying cows. That premise alone could’ve veered into melancholy or overly whimsical, but the new version we’ve been playing lands squarely in the former’s cozy, slice-of-life territory: innocent, absurd, silly, but always endearingly earnest.
From the start, the game sets a tone more akin to a lighthearted cartoon than a traditional narrative: there’s little drama or emotional stakes, no tangled relationships or high-stakes conflict. Instead, the mood thrives on bizarre routines and anthropomorphic townsfolk. Zucchini Town – Milano’s temporary home – feels like a half-remembered dream of childhood summers, full of odd jobs, friendly talking animals, and pastel-coloured pixel streets. The simplicity of this approach works in its favour; the story never pretends to be anything more than a gentle, brief escapade into a world where working odd jobs and furnishing a house can be wholesome fun.
The heart of the game, however, lives in its eight mini-games – each job a little world in itself: delivering pizzas on a scooter, washing dishes, mixing cakes, catching fruit, milking cows, even playing in a band or working as a nurse. The minigames feel crisp and responsive, and the controls respond well, which is key because many rely on timing and quick reactions. When you get into a good rhythm, they can be genuinely fun. And there’s the extra satisfaction of choosing your favourite jobs and replaying them in “arcade” mode for better scores – a welcome nod to both minigame-compilation nostalgia and modern replayability.
Visually and aurally, the game shines precisely because it embraces its 1999 PS1-era roots rather than hiding them. The pixel art is vibrant, full of personality and little touches that add charm. The animations are fluid and expressive, lending character to the most mundane tasks. On the audio side, the new English localization and voiceovers bring added warmth: Milano has a cheerful personality, and even minor characters – however minimal their lines – feel alive. For purists, the original Japanese voice track remains available, complete with subtitles, letting players pick whichever vibe suits them best.
That said – and it’s a big caveat, especially for a modern audience – the mechanical backbone can grow repetitive rather quickly. The statistical “life sim” elements (mood, energy, skill) don’t decline, so once you’ve maxed them, daily life quickly loses its tension. The reward loop can feel thin: often you wind up repeating the same easy minigame over and over, just to make enough money for a few outfits or furniture pieces. And since there’s no real story progression, no evolving cast of characters around town, and no scripted events, Milano is essentially spending forty days in almost total isolation, save for the odd job clients. That sense of solitude – which is sometimes whimsical, sometimes lonely – won’t land for everyone.
But perhaps this new port makes the most of these mechanics. With modern conveniences like save states, the ability to rewind, faster load times, and clean menus, the game feels dramatically more approachable than the original PS1 version ever could have. It lowers the barrier for players who might be put off by 90s-era clunkiness, letting the oddball magic come through instead. For those open to a cozy, low-stakes experience – a little nostalgia, a little absurdity, a little repetitive work – it’s kind of a hidden charm.
So Milano’s Odd Job Collection isn’t for everyone. It won’t scratch the itch of players looking for deep story, modern RPG-style progression, or dynamic interactions. But if you come at it expecting a cozy little curiosity – a quirky summer of odd jobs, charming pixel art, bizarre humor and a gentle pace – it delivers. The added polish helps the game feel like more than just a relic. For what it is – a weird, retro-fashioned minigame-collection with heart – it’s a delightful throwback, and it’s good that it finally got a chance to shine outside of Japan.
Score: 7.1/10
Press Play Media 