This game exceeded all the expectations I had for it.
I will start off with the game control. I was literally blown away with how well the stylus control worked in this game and all the things you could do with it. I never once felt like I lost any amount of game control using the stylus... The 100% stylus control of Link throughout this game is flawless, it truly works great and shows off the ability of the DS touchscreen like nothing else I have experienced on the DS thus far.
I have played through Wind Waker, and enjoyed that game very much even though I didn't prefer the cartoonist Link over the link as presented in Twilight Princess. Like Wind Waker, and even more so in Phantom Hourglass the game is exceptionally easy. I usually would consider this a negative, but I do realize the target audience for handheld games are children and young teenagers.
Phantom Hourglass really stuck to many traditional Zelda themes including characters and music so that was a great positive for me. Even the repetitiveness of the Ocean Temple didn't ever bother me.... part of the reason I suppose is that the ease of game play allows you to get through it quickly, even if it is repetitive.
In summary, I recommend this game to any Zelda fan with a DS. It is not the longest, hardest, or most in depth Zelda release by any stretch of the imagination, but will make for a entertaining and enjoyable 20 hours of game play as you breeze through it.