That's a project I'm following. Same for Paul's Neo6502.
I was initially wondering why using a RP2040 instead of (a lot of) logic chips...
Then I realised that is precisely what happened in the computer history. I mean, the builders are always trying to lower the costs.
I do remember the first sound cards I had on my PC. And the size of them. And the size of the last one I had.
So, all of a sudden, it hitted me: that's ok to use an integrated chip to do a lot of things I can do with a lot of chips.
So now, my brain can cope with it. Sorry, I'm a slow learner :)

I'm an old applemaniac (oh, by apple, I mean apple //, no mac) and how sad I was to see those PCs getting a lot of evolutions, new CPUs, new sound cards, new graphic cards when my poor IIgs stay as it was.
Since the end of the 80s, I'm dreaming about a possibility to do something similar for the apple //.
And boom, such a thing like the pico happened.
It makes me dream again.
That's good. Really good.

/kktos

Yes, integration is wonderful! The VIAs and ACIAs were really quite complex back in the day - not to mention the floppy disk controllers. Oh, and the video chips.

Or the 6531 with GPIO and RAM on the same chip ... that thing was a RIOT.

He's here all week folks!

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x86?  We ain't got no x86.  We don't NEED no stinking x86!