Milano shouldn’t work so hard. She deserves a day off for chilling in the park.
It’s frustrating when there’s a game you want to play, but it wasn’t brought over to the US and buying the original is … pricey. Back in 1999, there weren’t many casual games, and Milano’s Odd Job Collection offered a rare change of pace in gameplay. It was originally released in Japan on the PlayStation in 1999, and now XSEED has localized and updated the game so English-speaking audiences can experience it.
The game begins with 11-year-old Milano heading to her uncle’s home for summer vacation while her mom is in the hospital for 40 days. That backstory is briefly glossed over at the beginning — the game uses the Japanese trope of a mom being away long-term convalescing, while the kid gets thrust into “growth mode.” It’s a common subsection of slice-of-life, and this game has a lighthearted approach to it. She gets to her uncle’s house and sees a note that he’s away, too, and to keep the house running (things do get explained).
What’s Milano to do in Zucchini Town? Work! Child labor! All kidding aside, Milano does literal odd jobs around her uncle’s town to kill time and earn money — she does the chores around the house and takes care of feeding herself and her uncle’s cat — all while using her earnings to redecorate his house. And let’s be honest, this guy really needed decorating help!
You choose an activity for her as she wakes up each day. Go milk flying cows — which is probably my favorite little mini-game — in Roundabout Wrangler. And yes, all the minigame names are cute. The minigame is a little, ummm, unique? Have Milano jump up, grab the udders, and hang. Yeah, you read that right. It’s pretty funny! This minigame hasn’t failed to make me smile. After jumping, pull the “moogan” from the sky and press B to milk it as fast as possible, all while dodging a “green trampoli” animal running around either a racetrack or a paddock in the round.
Milano trying to win a Clippie Award
There’s more! Work at the local burger joint serving fast food, wash dishes at a restaurant before the stacks of plates fall (all whilst dodging someone who apparently is having a heck of a days and throwing ladles everywhere), volunteer at the hospital blasting germs, play the block matching game at the bakery, drive a moped delivering pizza in traffic and road construction (which is not far from reality), gather fruits and dodge “bombos” that try to sting you at the orchard in the Fresh Fruit Freefall, go to the park and kick back birdwatching, visit the music hall, view your records in the town hall, or redecorate.
Phew. If you read all that, congrats! In all seriousness, there is decent variety, but not all minigames can be played every in-game day — it depends on the weather.
Once those minigame wages have grown into a fat stack of prill, you could start updating the house. Each night at bedtime, Milano can order from the catalog, read a book, and make a wish (like a better climate so you can play fair-weather minigames). When you use the catalog at night, your shipments arrive in a day or two so you can redecorate.
Keep in mind, this is a 1999 port. There won’t be the customizability of home improvement and decorating a la Animal Crossing, but it’s got its charm. There are some items in the kitchen, bedroom, and living room, ways to drop or place furniture and electronics, wall decor, and even musical instruments.
After work, Milano returns to her uncle’s place where you can choose from only two activities each night. This is how you raise Milano’s Energy, Mood, and Skill stats. For example, after showering and heading to bed, read a book to raise the Skill stat. Raising stats far enough unlocks new actions such as playing an instrument or watching TV. Milano can vacuum, do laundry, feed the cat, cook, make tea, use the phone, or sleep. Having the ability to fast-forward through the chore action animations in the house is very much appreciated.
Once your 40 days is done, your parents show up to get you. There’s a cute reunion, then your parents grade your summer progress. And then? And then you want to beat that score! The game is fun and not terribly time-consuming, which yields replay value (I could imagine someone back in the day playing on this on the PlayStation and doing a couple of playthroughs on a rainy Sunday afternoon). Being able to buy and use different itemsm decorating the house again differently, or choosing another instrument, is another great reason for replaying.
During my first 40-day playthrough, I avoided this feature, but you can rewind. My score was so much better with it. I’m sure that’s a controversial choice in some circles, but live and let live. I like it. I don’t want to flub an entire day’s wages because my phone rang during the minigame. Each minigame does offer a review of the controls (though no practice session like Mario Party). Both features are helpful when there are a few days between sessions.
The casual vibe people online talked about feeling from Milano’s Odd Job Collection in 1999 is still here today. Truth be told, I didn’t like the game much during my first half hour of play. But it started to grow on me the more I played it. I started to back and take in the atmosphere. It’s neat to watch Milano making tea or hanging out the laundry. The cat is cute but possibly full of attitude. And the voice acting from Kayli Miller is endearing — she also sings the outro song.
The game plays perfectly on the Steam Deck, and with the relatively quick gameplay, it is a solid choice for mobile play. There really is a lot to like here, and the price is perfect at $14.99. If you want a fun, somewhat quirky retro experience, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this one.
It’s frustrating when there’s a game you want to play, but it wasn’t brought over to the US and buying the original is … pricey. Back in 1999, there weren’t many casual games, and Milano’s Odd Job Collection offered a…
Milano shouldn’t work so hard. She deserves a day off for chilling in the park.
It’s frustrating when there’s a game you want to play, but it wasn’t brought over to the US and buying the original is … pricey. Back in 1999, there weren’t many casual games, and Milano’s Odd Job Collection offered a rare change of pace in gameplay. It was originally released in Japan on the PlayStation in 1999, and now XSEED has localized and updated the game so English-speaking audiences can experience it.
The game begins with 11-year-old Milano heading to her uncle’s home for summer vacation while her mom is in the hospital for 40 days. That backstory is briefly glossed over at the beginning — the game uses the Japanese trope of a mom being away long-term convalescing, while the kid gets thrust into “growth mode.” It’s a common subsection of slice-of-life, and this game has a lighthearted approach to it. She gets to her uncle’s house and sees a note that he’s away, too, and to keep the house running (things do get explained).
What’s Milano to do in Zucchini Town? Work! Child labor! All kidding aside, Milano does literal odd jobs around her uncle’s town to kill time and earn money — she does the chores around the house and takes care of feeding herself and her uncle’s cat — all while using her earnings to redecorate his house. And let’s be honest, this guy really needed decorating help!
You choose an activity for her as she wakes up each day. Go milk flying cows — which is probably my favorite little mini-game — in Roundabout Wrangler. And yes, all the minigame names are cute. The minigame is a little, ummm, unique? Have Milano jump up, grab the udders, and hang. Yeah, you read that right. It’s pretty funny! This minigame hasn’t failed to make me smile. After jumping, pull the “moogan” from the sky and press B to milk it as fast as possible, all while dodging a “green trampoli” animal running around either a racetrack or a paddock in the round.
Milano trying to win a Clippie Award
There’s more! Work at the local burger joint serving fast food, wash dishes at a restaurant before the stacks of plates fall (all whilst dodging someone who apparently is having a heck of a days and throwing ladles everywhere), volunteer at the hospital blasting germs, play the block matching game at the bakery, drive a moped delivering pizza in traffic and road construction (which is not far from reality), gather fruits and dodge “bombos” that try to sting you at the orchard in the Fresh Fruit Freefall, go to the park and kick back birdwatching, visit the music hall, view your records in the town hall, or redecorate.
Phew. If you read all that, congrats! In all seriousness, there is decent variety, but not all minigames can be played every in-game day — it depends on the weather.
Once those minigame wages have grown into a fat stack of prill, you could start updating the house. Each night at bedtime, Milano can order from the catalog, read a book, and make a wish (like a better climate so you can play fair-weather minigames). When you use the catalog at night, your shipments arrive in a day or two so you can redecorate.
Keep in mind, this is a 1999 port. There won’t be the customizability of home improvement and decorating a la Animal Crossing, but it’s got its charm. There are some items in the kitchen, bedroom, and living room, ways to drop or place furniture and electronics, wall decor, and even musical instruments.
After work, Milano returns to her uncle’s place where you can choose from only two activities each night. This is how you raise Milano’s Energy, Mood, and Skill stats. For example, after showering and heading to bed, read a book to raise the Skill stat. Raising stats far enough unlocks new actions such as playing an instrument or watching TV. Milano can vacuum, do laundry, feed the cat, cook, make tea, use the phone, or sleep. Having the ability to fast-forward through the chore action animations in the house is very much appreciated.
Once your 40 days is done, your parents show up to get you. There’s a cute reunion, then your parents grade your summer progress. And then? And then you want to beat that score! The game is fun and not terribly time-consuming, which yields replay value (I could imagine someone back in the day playing on this on the PlayStation and doing a couple of playthroughs on a rainy Sunday afternoon). Being able to buy and use different itemsm decorating the house again differently, or choosing another instrument, is another great reason for replaying.
During my first 40-day playthrough, I avoided this feature, but you can rewind. My score was so much better with it. I’m sure that’s a controversial choice in some circles, but live and let live. I like it. I don’t want to flub an entire day’s wages because my phone rang during the minigame. Each minigame does offer a review of the controls (though no practice session like Mario Party). Both features are helpful when there are a few days between sessions.
The casual vibe people online talked about feeling from Milano’s Odd Job Collection in 1999 is still here today. Truth be told, I didn’t like the game much during my first half hour of play. But it started to grow on me the more I played it. I started to back and take in the atmosphere. It’s neat to watch Milano making tea or hanging out the laundry. The cat is cute but possibly full of attitude. And the voice acting from Kayli Miller is endearing — she also sings the outro song.
The game plays perfectly on the Steam Deck, and with the relatively quick gameplay, it is a solid choice for mobile play. There really is a lot to like here, and the price is perfect at $14.99. If you want a fun, somewhat quirky retro experience, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this one.
by Theresa Samons
