Playable Tingle or no buy.
In all seriousness, I like the idea of these games, but I'm always afraid to buy one because I know they're going to release another update in like 6 months, and I will feel like I have to buy it then. I'm especially afraid of that if I end up really liking it, because I will buy them yearly until I am 80 years old.
The
Xtreme Legends updates only come with the additional content added for it. They never require you to have the original game to play them. Generally, though, these don't have the content to warrant the $40-50 purchase they usually come out at, so it's not missing much if you wait for a price drop or skip it entirely. (It's worth noting that
DW8:XL looks beyond fantastic, though)
The
Empires updates are actually standalone products. They are their own games, built off the mechanics of the numbered title they're based on, and more often than not provide you with a mostly different experience from the main title. These ones, while I don't feel they're worth $40-50, are definitely more worth a purchase than
XL.
All in all, though, neither of the updates are ever really necessary, so you don't really have to worry if you buy one of the games.
Sorry if you knew all this already, though. lol