You don't know enough right now to do it. First learn to program something simple like Python. Then learn to program something more complex like C++ or Visual C. Then if yous till want to make a Genesis game you will need to find a Genesis home brew community and find out from them what it will take to program a game, for example the specific machine/assembly code.

It won't be easy and you may even need a natural programing talent to do it successfully. Even if you do learn to program and get the resources you need to program a Genesis game, you will need more than code to complete the game. I've made several games, (see: www.2bitproductions.org ), and I can tell you that even making simple games takes tons of art and sound assets. It takes a tremendous amount of planing and troubleshooting.

Don't put the cart before the horse. You will fail. But if you learn the basics, build on that knowledge with more knowledge, and are driven you will meet your goal. Whether the game will be good or not doesn't matter.

I know that ...

I was simply commenting on his edit (where he is talking about bizzarre ascii characters, which is often the result of binary data being displayed in text)

Not an easy task you have chosen. Do you want to emulate an old console and add own games, or do you want to build a new console with modern tech? The second task may be much easier to pull off. Today there are many chips, that can be easily used. Most common used are ARM-processors (that also is used in the DS for example).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture

Another option to build an own project on is Arduino. That is a complete board.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arduino

That modern tech is not compatible with the old consoles though. The NES used a Ricoh 2A03 as processor, the Genesis a Motorola 68000. I don't believe the Ricoh is produced anymore. The Motorola-chip was very popular, it was also used in the some Apple machines. So someone may produce clones of this chip. But the complete setup of the old consoles may contain even more old chips, that are hard to obtain these days.

For processor, I recommend the Motorola 6800 since it's still in use today, they're probably easy to find on Ebay or some other place that sells IC chips.

For sound, I'd use a Yamaha 2612. I bought one on Ebay myself, so probably easy to find. I think there is info about how it should be hooked up on the cirquit board and how to program it on its wikipedia page. But be warned, I find the schematic kinda hard to read even though I study electrical engineering.

I don't have any knowledge about any graphics chips.

That is, if you want to be realy old school. There are modern processors that can do simple graphics, audio playback and processing in one. If you want to make it easy for you, you should buy one of them.

You don't know enough right now to do it. First learn to program something simple like Python. Then learn to program something more complex like C++ or Visual C. Then if yous till want to make a Genesis game you will need to find a Genesis home brew community and find out from them what it will take to program a game, for example the specific machine/assembly code.

It won't be easy and you may even need a natural programing talent to do it successfully. Even if you do learn to program and get the resources you need to program a Genesis game, you will need more than code to complete the game. I've made several games, (see: www.2bitproductions.org ), and I can tell you that even making simple games takes tons of art and sound assets. It takes a tremendous amount of planing and troubleshooting.

Don't put the cart before the horse. You will fail. But if you learn the basics, build on that knowledge with more knowledge, and are driven you will meet your goal. Whether the game will be good or not doesn't matter.

Man, I'm glad someone is finally being the voice of reason.  If you have to ask what Assembly is, you aren't ready to program in assembly language. I know that sounds like some sort of joke but it very much isn't. Assembly can make even the best programmers out there scratch their heads. The type of people that write game engines in assembly are people like Carmack. 

Like someone else said, start small. If you set out to make yor own engine or hardware from the get-go you will fail miserably. If you want to make your own hardware, I don't really know where to start but it isn't by trying to create a SNES. Try creating the logic for stop light using circuits.  If you want to be a designer, pick an established engine and knock yourself out. If you want to be a programmer, learn C++. If you want to be an artist, take a life drawing and a sculpting class. 

Dont set out to create a console, engine, and game on your first go. 

I am actually a fairly avid programmer thank you very much.  I honestly am not worried about the programming part for the type of games I want to do.  That will be the easy (I should say easier because the whole project will be a pain) part for me I think.  The hard part is finding a means to upload it to a cartridge or some other medium.

Lmao, I really didn't plan to do all this all at once.   I do have a modest amount of game programming experience.  Pretty much a few simple games in Python/Pygame and C++.  The whole reason why I want to get into this really is to learn more than anything.  In all honestly, I have no means of full out learning Assembly, but I would like to get some simple concepts out of it (if there even are any).  I have alot more experience in the digital electronics side of things though.  I mean I am only 21 so there is alot out there I want to explore before I start specializing and this is is just one of those things.

You don't know enough right now to do it. First learn to program something simple like Python. Then learn to program something more complex like C++ or Visual C. Then if yous till want to make a Genesis game you will need to find a Genesis home brew community and find out from them what it will take to program a game, for example the specific machine/assembly code.

It won't be easy and you may even need a natural programing talent to do it successfully. Even if you do learn to program and get the resources you need to program a Genesis game, you will need more than code to complete the game. I've made several games, (see: www.2bitproductions.org ), and I can tell you that even making simple games takes tons of art and sound assets. It takes a tremendous amount of planing and troubleshooting.

Don't put the cart before the horse. You will fail. But if you learn the basics, build on that knowledge with more knowledge, and are driven you will meet your goal. Whether the game will be good or not doesn't matter.