I use to say my old RockHopper was plenty good for me on trails and my style of riding but now that I've gone through a sucession of bikes, I have to say I've found my true love in my Santa Cruz Superlight.

Before I would ride either my Specialized Stumpjumper fully or my Specialized M4 Stump hardtail but now I usually just ride the Superlight, it's that perfect combination of both (and I recently sold the Stump fully as it is no longer needed). The SC is like a hardtail climbing and gives me just enough suspension downhill (4"). If you do see yourself riding challenging downhills then I can't say enough about a Stumpjumper. It's 5" of travel are pretty for agressive downhills but bike still works well on flats and climbing.

And yes my old Rockhopper did well but I find myself riding so much better, with more confidence on the right bike.

Good luck with your search!