Milano’s Odd Job Collection Review
XSEED and Implicit Conversions released a cozy game that had never been available outside Japan.
Developer Westone Bit’s Milano no Arubaito Collection is a quirky life sim developed initially for PlayStation in 1999. The game never made it outside Japan, likely due to assumptions about its limited commercial appeal. More than two decades later, we can finally play Milano’s Odd Job Collection outside of Japan, thanks to XSEED Games and Implicit Conversions. With the magic of emulation, they localized and published the game on modern platforms with quality-of-life updates.
The story centers on Milano, an eleven-year-old girl left alone for the summer after her hospitalized mother and busy father send her to stay with an uncle, who promptly leaves on vacation himself. Determined to prove her independence, Milano spends 40 days taking odd jobs to earn money and redecorate her uncle’s house. The premise supports a collection of absurd minigames based on mundane jobs: washing dishes at a restaurant, milking cows at a farm, baking pastries, and so on. Each job plays differently; some require timing, others pattern recognition, and a few demand quick reflexes.
In the evening, Milano can spend her free time doing chores, cooking, feeding her pet, etc. Before bed, she can also choose between reading a book, wishing on a star, or ordering home decor from a catalog with her hard-earned cash. These choices affect Milano’s stats, which in turn determine which jobs are available the next day, assuming the weather cooperates.
While the minigames are undeniably whimsical, most lack the mechanical depth to stay engaging for long. Once you’ve figured out how a job works, repetition sets in quickly. The home decoration meta-game offers some longer-term motivation, but it can’t fully make up for the shallow design of the individual activities.
Visually, the game is delightful. I love the pixel art, which bursts with personality, especially Milano's expressive sprite animations. Each job location feels distinct, backgrounds pop with detail, and the entire presentation brims with charm.
Implicit Conversions’ improvements go beyond the English localization. They modernized the experience with save states, rewind, and trophies/achievements. The developers also preserved the original Japanese audio, allowing players to listen in their preferred language.
Ultimately, Milano's Odd Job Collection is most interesting to me as a cultural artifact. It’s fascinating to revisit the kinds of experiences publishers once believed wouldn’t resonate with Western audiences. It was clearly a miscalculation, given how popular cozy, low-stakes games are today.
Milano’s Odd Job Collection is available now on Steam, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch/Switch 2, and Xbox One/Series X|S.
Overall Score: 6/10
Played on: PlayStation 5
