Neither Metroid (which I love to death and have played through several times) nor Castlevanina have precision combat as just one feature missing. In other words Metroid and Castlevania have #7 (action combat) but not #8 (precision combat + unique enemies)
Metroid should probably be marked for #3 (unique items) though I did mark it for #6 (unique weapons)
Castlevania seems to be missnig #6 (unique weapons). At least that's my recollection. Sure, the weapons are different but you can use any weapon against any creature if I remember correctly so each weapon does not really have a unique use. Maybe I'm remembering wrong.
Ahh, glossed over your remarks of precision combat, yeah neither have them, though I wonder if that's a deliberate game design decision of what's more fun or accessible -- deliberate fights-as-puzzles attacks vs button-mashy goodness.
Several (all?) of the 2D Castlevanias have elemental damage types and certain monsters that have archetypal strengths and weaknesses (ice vs fire, etc.), though the gameplay is also about optimizing cost/benefit of a weapon's magic/speed/attack versus the zones of damage it inflicts. Basically it'll suck if you use your awesome danger with wimpy range on certain foes/bosses, while your really slow hitting claymore swings at an arc that protects you from projectiles and what not at the expense of requiring a tad it of timing.
Ahh good times... makes me want to replay SotN again now. :)
