Better than Spirit Tracks, Link to the Past and most DS games
This is the direct sequel to Nintendo GameCube's The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, similar in both the style and the characters.
Utilizing the power of the stylus, one can play the entire game with only the touch screen. I feel more in control of the game when, for example, I draw the path of my boomerang, plot my ship's course, and swing Link's sword by doing a slashing motion across the screen. I thought it would be weird using the stylus to play the game but somehow it felt like it was the natural thing to do (there was very little learning curve, if any).
I'm not really a fan of the cel-shaded graphics because it creates too much of a cartoon feel. I would have wanted for a Link incarnation that would be similar to the Link in Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess but I guess this young Link would suit better in cel-shaded animation.
To date I have 4 extremely satisfying games on my Nintendo DS but the Phantom Hourglass definitely supercedes them all. I'm one of many gamers here who were (a little) disappointed that Japan got this title roughly 4 months ahead. But the agony of the long wait seems to disappear now that I'm experiencing the magic of this game. I hope to see another The Legend of Zelda game on the DS (though there is unlikely to be one in the near future).