Phantom Hourglass has set a new standard for DS games.
Phantom Hourglass is the direct sequel to the masterpiece Gamecube title, known as WW, or Windwaker. It does a great job continuing the story, this time the main antagonist being the beastlike creature, Bellum. (Yes, Ganondorf is sadly dead.) As Link, your quest is to save Tetra a.k.a Zelda who was captured by the ghost ship, and all the heroic deeds as in any Zelda game.
The control of the game is entirely touch screen based, which gives a unique feel. You slash your stylus to attack, and touch things to interact with them. It all flows really well, and is very responsive in the end. It definitely works better than standard button mashing would have on the DS.
In looks, the game is definitely the best looking DS game so far. Characters looks awesome, they flow very nicely, and environments are great. There are tons of places to explore, and the world is just, huge. Plain and simple. You will probably only be bored with this game after the second or third time playing through it, due to all the side quests to do. Although the world isn't as big as the great Windwaker world, It's big enough, especially for a DS game.
Music and sound in the game are average, seeing as some sound effects produced through the DS speakers are pretty cheap, but the music is the great part. Windwaker and Ocarina of Time tunes are found throughout the whole game.
Along with those features, another great plus is that characters from Windwaker are in this game, along with new characters. All of Tetra's pirate crew is in the game, and surprisingly, they look almost as good up close as they did in Windwaker. New characters, including the coolest, the Gorons, are also in this game, and Goron island is portrayed very well. Link also has a fairy in this game, like Link did in the classic OoT, who will assist you and your new partner, Linebeck, throughout your journey.
The story in the game is not broken or torn in any parts, and ties together as well as a Zelda game's story should. The dungeon and level design is exceptional for a DS game, yet the tedious Temple of the Ocean King is probably the most annoying aspect of any of the Zelda games. This is true because players will have to make constant visits back, any go through the same levels and rooms over and over again. This is definitely the worst aspect of the game. However, the rest of the game's stellar presentation overshadow this by far.
Overall, Phantom Hourglass is the best DS game out right now, and has set a new standard for all DS games.