Milano’s Odd Job Collection Review (PS5)

We don’t know what we’ve done to deserve it, but we’re living in charmed times for retro re-releases.

Case in point: PS1 minigame compilation Milano’s Odd Job Collection – better known as Mirano no Arubaito Collection in Japan – has arrived on Western shores for the first time, having debuted over 26 years ago.

Drawing comparisons to Bishi Bashi Special, this oddball outing sees you assume the role of the eponymous Milano, a carefree 11-year-old out to prove to her parents she can be relied upon.

When her mother suddenly takes ill and her father is out of town, she’s sent to her uncle’s house for the summer. But a scheduling conflict means her guardian is on vacation, so our tween heroine does what all young girls would: get a part-time job.

Work is divided into several simple minigames, including a fast-food restaurant where you’ll hastily and accurately serve customers, or a bakery where you combine ingredients to create cakes.

The minigames are simple, but the higher difficulty tiers add tension by giving you more to think about.

In the evening, the title transforms into a life sim, allowing you to pick two activities for Milano, including cooking, cleaning, and feeding the cat.

As you earn money, you can reinvest your accumulating wealth into additional items, which unlock new objects to engage with, like a stereo or television.

Each activity contributes to Milano’s stats, improving her mood or increasing her skills – although don’t expect dense character building, as stats only ever go up.

Implicit Conversions – which handled this re-release via its Syrup engine – has gone the extra mile, incorporating an optional English dub and various quality-of-life improvements, like rewind. There’s even an in-game gallery featuring fascinating concept art.

And while repetition inevitably sets in across the two- or three-hour running time, it’s hard not to be charmed by the title’s chunky 90s sprites and thoughtful animations.

We simply love that we live in a world where a retro Japanese curio like this can exist on modern Western consoles, and we’d recommend it out of sheer novelty to anyone with even an ounce of PS1 nostalgia.