I know amiga mentioned Contra IV, but I'm not sure if that was the recommendation or not. So I'm going to also back Contra IV. Very difficult and was updated enough to feel fresh without losing its identity. If only Konami handled all their IPs like that. Also if Contra IV was indeed the recommendation, I'm sure I can think up another.
I'm not a huge Contra fan. Just not my cup of tea. Unless Contra IV is different? As far as Shonen, I'm not terribly familiar, but if Jump Ultimate Stars is like SSB I'll DEFINITELY look into it.
JUS isn't a SSB clone exactly, but it does have similarities. It was only released in Japan, and a friend imported it. I think it's too much of a hassle to play a game in a language I can't read (even with a guide) thus I did not touch it. He wouldn't stop gushing about it though.
