I unironically like Phantom Hourglass a lot. the music is pretty good, the plot is good, it features Linebeck who might be one of the top ten characters in the entire series. I do find it lacks a certain amount of charm and generally feels like it's treading water (har har) in comparison to the other DS/3DS games. Link Between Worlds fits the zelda style to a T and uses the ready-made template of a "Zelda Game" to practically perfection. Spirit Tracks divulges from the usual Zelda standard but does so with a huge amount of charm & unique presence. Phantom Hourglass... doesn't really do either of those. it's just kind of... there.
Three stars & Linebeck adds an extra half.