No respectable DS owner should be without the Phantom Hourglass.
Taking on the cel-shaded graphics of the Wink Waker on the GameCube, the Phantom Hourglass looks just as good as it's console predecessor, with all the bang in half the size. There's not really any better looking games on the DS than the Phantom Hourglass.
The innovative story captures your attention, although it takes a little bit to get into the actual game. Once you do however, you'll find yourself immersed in Zelda like never before. With very few sequels in the series, Phantom Hourglass places itself in the top. A base of 15 hours of gameplay for the quest alone, add on the sidequests on every island and you have a game you won't be finishing anytime soon. Not that it's a bad thing, as Phantom Hourglass is one of the most enjoyable games on the platform.
Spin attacks, bows & arrows, bombs, all the familiar mechanics are back in this game along with some new gameplay. Sailing makes a grand return, being rehashed on the DS and therefore far superior to its Wind Waker counterpart. The new stylus controls may be awkward at first but after a few tries, you'll see how necessary it becomes. The multiplayer mode, new to Zelda handhelds, isn't fantastic, but it's a fun deviant from the main quest.
There's no voice acting and the music is rather forgettable, but that is only a minor gripe, as the text and facial expressions easily convey feelings to you and the music does its job.
As one of the better games on the DS platform, as well as handhelds in general, no respectable DS owner should be without the Phantom Hourglass.