Doko Demo Issyo

A Japanese video game series created by Sony Computer Entertainment featuring the mascot character Toro Inoue.

Games

1999–2004

Years

Platforms

About

Debuting in 1999 with Dokodemo Issyo on the PlayStation, this communication and life simulation series revolves around interacting with and teaching words to virtual pets called Pocket People. The franchise spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs, including Doko Demo Issyo: Toro and the Shooting Star, Doko Demo Issyo: Toro on Holiday, and Doko Demo Issyo: Lots Of Toro, establishing the white cat Toro Inoue as an iconic mascot for Sony in Japan.

The original release of Dokodemo Issyo achieved massive success in Japan primarily due to its integration with the PocketStation, a memory card peripheral with an LCD screen that allowed players to interact with their characters on the go. This popularity prompted the budget re-release Doko Demo Issyo [Playstation the Best] in 2000, alongside the story-driven spin-off Doko Demo Issyo: Toro and the Shooting Star in the same year. Sony further expanded connectivity with Doko Demo Issyo: I-Mode Additional Disc in 2001, linking the gameplay to cellular networks.

As the franchise transitioned to the PlayStation 2, Doko Demo Issyo: Toro on Holiday (2001) and its subsequent budget version Doko Demo Issyo: Toro on Holiday [PlayStation 2 The Best] (2001) shifted the focus toward fully rendered 3D environments, allowing players to take vacation photos. The series continued to innovate with Doko Demo Issyo: My Picture Book in 2003, which emphasized creative storytelling, and Doko Demo Issyo: Lots Of Toro in 2004, which brought the franchise to the PlayStation Portable. Across these titles, players interacted with a diverse cast of "Pokepi" characters including Kuro the black cat, Pierre the dog, Ricky the frog, and Suzuki the robot.