I've never actually shot a NEOS but have handled a couple of them. I don't think I'll be buying one anytime soon as I don't need one. Overall, if I wanted a dedicated 22 pistol on a budget, I'd need a whole lot of something to talk me out of a Ruger MKII. The shop I frequent has them for $209 or $219. Don't remember seeing a two tone one.
I've have had a couple of the Phoenix Arms HP22s. Not really in the same class as the MKII, 22/45, Bunckark etc... for someone wanting a gun capable of getting on target at 50 yards but mine have been very, very reliable. Some folks knock them a lot but I've had maybe 5 failures in probably 3,000 rounds with two guns. I would recommend the stainless gun over the blued gun though. The steel seems a bit harder, at least the exterior steel. They have a whole bunch of safeties which turns some people off but for $105 or so, not too shabby.
I have a S&W 22A (I'm pretty sure it's the 'A') that I really don't care for. I bought it on sale when I went to get a HP22 but it was just about $40 more so I took a chance. Before long, the slide stop spring lost is springy-ness and I had to send it back. When they returned it, it was missing one of the grip screws. I haven't used it much in the last two years but the same spring is starting to fail again. This may be a small complaint that other may not have but it's enough that I can't recommend them.
Buddy of mine has a couple MKIIs, an older blued 5.5" heavy barrel and a newer stainless normal weight barrel model. Both are great though the newer trigger is a bit stiff. I'm sure that could be fixed with a few dollars.
The 22 I've shot the most over the past couple years is a Dan Wesson revolver. Scary accurate and you certainly don't have to worry about reliability. The new ones are pricey as are the Smith equilavents but they are super nice guns and would definately get one over the Trailside at about the same price.
I also recently traded into a 22 conversion unit for a 1911 from Marvel. These things go for about $350 new but are bullseye accurate as the sights and barrel are integral. We're talking .3" groups at 50 yards. Of course, if you don't have a good 1911 platform with a good trigger etc..., then the conversion becomes stratospherically expensive but just an example of what's out there. Other compaines also make conversion for the Beretta design, the CZ/EAA design and some others, I'm sure.