Is Cas9 unique in it's ability to act in response to a specific DNA sequence?
There are two classes of proteins that I can think of off the bat that are DNA sequence-specific. First are restriction enzymes, which recognize a specific (usually short) sequence of DNA and cleave it, sometimes through both strands at the same spot (blunt ends) and sometimes leaving an overhang or "sticky end". 

The other class is transcription factors. Instead of altering the DNA, these proteins bind to a consensus sequence and act as a gathering point for the transcription machinery to bind and begin transcribing the following gene into RNA.

What makes the CRISPR/Cas discovery unique is that the binding sequence can essentially be an arbitrary sequence, defined by the scientist, allowing for cuts just about anywhere. Transcription factors and restriction enzymes depend on the local sequence of the DNA itself, so they only bind in certain spots.

There are other sequence-specific technologies available, such as TALEN, but they are basically a combination of a site-specific transcription factor and a fairly non-specific restriction enzyme or nuclease fragment engineered into it that cuts at a specific, user-defined site, depending on which subunits are used. CRISPR is a much more powerful (and easier to implement in vivo) technology, though, so while TALEN still has a place in the molecular biology toolbox, CRISPR is rapidly eclipsing it.