Milano's Odd Job Collection

I do love it when Japanese only games from the past get translated for a new audience. While I may never see an official translation of my beloved Ranma beat-em-ups, I can enjoy delving into gaming's past with other cute and quirky titles, both adjectives that can be used to describe Milano's Odd Job Collection (aka Milano no Arbeit Collection). Implicit Conversions have dug the game out of Japan-only obscurity and created a solid, if barebones release for the curious to examine. We've waited 26 years, so let's dive in!

The story is simple enough - Milano's parents are out of town, and thanks to a miscommunication so is the uncle that's supposed to be looking after her at his place, which leaves her in charge of the household. Taking the responsibility to heart, the young girl decides to get a job and run things as best she can in their absence.

The map to Zucchini Town, where you'll select your job for the day

The game takes place across 40 days, with each day split into three sections. MIlano will get up, attend one of the available jobs and, if she performs well, get paid. After this, it's time to go home, attend to two of the available activities (such as cleaning or even praying) which may raise your stats for energy, mood or skill, then it's time for bed to repeat again the next day. The higher your skill levels climb, the more you'll find available, from new jobs to higher difficulty levels. 

You can use the money you've earned to buy items for the house - these may then unlock further activities to raise your stats. There isn't much room in the house though, so be careful with your purchases. 

The pixel-art is gorgeous

Taken together, there's not a lot of depth to the management element of the game, it all has a very cosy feel that makes the game world, and Milano herself, all the more appealing. The animations as she attends to her tasks is delightful and certainly creates a happy feeling, especially as you watch her grow.

Aside from this sim-lite system, the title is mostly a collection of mini-games and the "meat" of what's on offer. There are eight in total, most of which play like party games. 

Pastry Pileup was the first I tried, it's a puzzle block game where you have to match ingredients. I absolutely sucked at this on my first run, but found my stride on a second attempt. Tick Tock Takeout is a memory game which requires you to fulfil the orders of a demanding rabbit customers, Round-about Wrangler requires you to milk airborne cows(!) while avoiding raging animals, Dishwash Woosh is a cleaning game, Pizza Pronto is a driving game that sees you avoiding obstacles while driving a delivery scooter (my personal favourite), Fresh Fruit Freefall is all about catching fruit while Pop Star Power is a rhythm game. The last, Viral Vamoose, is slightly more complex as it involved memory, fast reactions and mashing buttons. 

Pizza Pronto

I have to say I found all of these games entertaining and, when going up to the higher of the five available difficulties, challenging. They are quite simple arcade-like affairs however without a lot of depth, so it's best to vary them as much as you can while playing in order to keep the game from becoming too familiar. At best, over 40 days you'll be playing each game a minimum of five times in each run-through, so the game is best in short bursts really.

This is a game that's both limited while having a decent amount to offer for the price. At under £13 what you're getting is fair value. At about £1.60 per mini game, with the management aspect on top it's good value for money and that's reflected in the score. A cute, fun little game that we're really very lucky to have in English - Kayli Mills does a great job bringing life to Milano, but you can switch to Japanese if you want the authentic experience. Adding in a few little quality of life elements, such as rewind, save and scanlines are all appreciated. There's even an understated gallery function if you look for it. 

Everything about Milano's Odd Job Collection is snuggly, from the wonderful graphics, the characters and music, it's just a fun, inoffensive title that should keep you entertained for a while, and it's always a delightful little world to return to. 

Launch Trailer: