Macross is a fake SCD game, but it does require at least a 1.0 card.
Doesn't all CD games require at least v1.0 card?
No, only CD-ROM2 games do.
Super CD games require at least a 3.0 card (built into Duos and the Super CD-ROM).
Arcade Card games require the appropriate Arcade Card to run. If your CD-ROM system doesn't have 3.0/1 built-in, then you need the PRO card. If it does have 3.0/1 built-in, then you can use either the cheaper DUO card or the PRO.
I meant the CD BIOS (card or built-in). I never had a CD-ROM2 (only Super) but if I understand it correctly it doesn't have a BIOS built-in so it needs a card to play any CD game at all. Else there wouldn't be a need for Hudson/NEC to release v1.0 cards (I take it the Juuouki bug was obviously not done deliberately).
You do need some sort of bios to play CD games, but the IFU contains the first 1/2 meg of ram.
Regular/true SCD games can't be run without a 3(.1) card equivalent. Macross 2036 is a CD2 game in SCD packaging. The System 3(.01) adds 1.5 megs of ram and has an updated bios. Arcade Cards only add extra ram, but run off of the same 3(.01) bios.
Bios/System card revisions between 1.0 - 2.2 add various features, like the music CD player.