My two favorite video game consoles are the Super Nintendo and PlayStation.  I played so many great games on those systems, and there were so many more that never came out overseas!  That’s why I like when a company snags a Japan only classic and brings it over here.  Such is the case with Milano’s Odd Job Collection.  Big thanks to XSEED for bringing it to the US and translating it, as well as just being supportive of me pretty much their entire existence.  Anyway, this game was originally a Japan only PlayStation title.  Interestingly enough, Westone made it, and they’re best known for the Wonder Boy series.   In this game, you play as young girl Milano.  It’s summer vacation, but Milano’s mom will be in the hospital for 40 days, and her dad has to work.  So they send Milano to live with her uncle during that time.  But when she gets there, a note on the door says that her uncle has gone away and to watch the house for him.  Man what kind of parents are they?  Anyway, Milano decides to do odd jobs around town for the summer to earn a lot of money and make her parents proud.  This game is a mini-game collection where you perform job themed activities.  Now before you say, “Oh great, another mini-game collection,” keep in mind this game came out in 1999 or so, nearly half a decade before WarioWare and the glut of mini-game collections on the Wii.  So it was probably pretty innovative back then.  Anyway, it’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.

In the game you have 40 days that you are on your own.  At the start of each day you can choose a job to do, but not all stores are open every day.  And some stores only open after you do certain things.  Let’s go through the mini-games you’ll play in these stores.

Ranch: Roundabout Wrangler

You can tell this game is set in a fantasy world because here you must milk flying cows.  You walk left and right in 2D fashion around a circle.  When a flying cow is above you, jump up to grab her udders and pull down and start milking by pressing the button rapidly.  When you fill up a bucket you can move onto the next flying cow.  But make sure to jump over other animals running around or they’ll knock you back and cost you valuable time.  Each job has a time limit, and if you complete the task, you’ll earn money.

Bakery: Pastry Pileup

This is like a falling block puzzle game.  It kind of plays like a cross between Tetris Attack and Yoshi.  Ingredient tiles will fall from the top, and you can flip their order vertically when they hit the bottom.  When two or more match, press a button to make cakes out of them.  When you make enough cakes, you pass the level.  I like this one because I like puzzle games like this and I’m good at it.

Restaurant: Dishwash Woosh

Wash dishes as fast as you can.  Press the button to pick up a dish, and then again to put it in the water.  Move the control stick around to clean it, and then press the button again to pull it out and place it on the clean pile.  But if you pick up a dish with a exclamation mark on it, quickly duck to avoid a flying ladle.  If it hits you, you’ll be stunned for a short while.

Burger Joint: Tick Tock Takeout

Take orders from customers, then go to the stations and make their food and try to remember their order.  Do this enough times correctly to pass.

Orchard: Fresh Fruit Freefall

Catch apples in your bucket when they fall by walking left and right under them, and jump over animals that might knock you over.

Hospital: Viral Vamoose

Some of the games won’t open until you have enough energy, and this was one of those games.  Once you have enough, you can cure patients by pressing the face buttons in the right order, or as quick as you can, depending on the level.

Pizzeria: Pizza Pronto

Drive your scooter from left to right and avoid cars and traffic cones that can slow you down and deliver your pizza on time.

Music Hall: Pop Star Power

This one was always closed until I spent the day at the park a few days instead of working.  One time, a talent scout came along and asked if I could sing in the music hall, which unlocks this mini-game.  Milano is a pop star and sings and plays the drums.  When the button icons go past a line, press the correct button.  Yeah, it’s a typical music/rhythm game.

If you do the job game successfully, you’ll earn money.  Then you can go back to your house and do a few things to improve your mood, energy, or skill level.  These include things like eating, cleaning, washing, feeding the cat, etc.  Then when you are in bed, you can choose to use your money to shop for furniture to decorate the house with, or wish on a star or read a book to further improve your stats. Higher skill levels let you take on harder jobs for more money.  Also you can unlock an arcade mode somehow.   And that’s pretty much the game.  With only eight mini-games, it gets a little repetitive, but I’m still glad I got to play it.  I hope XSEED and other companies continue to bring over Japan-only SNES and PlayStation games for me to discover and enjoy.

Kid Factor:
Milano’s Odd Job Collection is rated E for Everyone with an ESRB descriptor of Mild Fantasy Violence.  You can get hit with ladles or running animals, but you just get knocked down with dizzy stars.  Reading skill is needed for the text, and younger players may need help with some of the mini-games.

Tags: Game Reviews