Call it coping all you want. We are talking about an event that happened more than 2 decades ago. I was there, and I clearly remember a lot of negative press for every Nintendo console.

Fun fact by the way, I am not even necessarily a Nintendo fan. I loved the SNES and all their handhelds, but I really hated the N64 and seriously disliked the Wii U, and I was never all that much in love with the Wii. But I recognize that every console iteration the gaming press spells doom for Nintendo. It's almost a meme at this point.

Also, it's not only for Nintendo, I do lump the vast majority of gaming press in the "trash" category. I completely ignore professional reviews for a reason. Gaming press is just marketing and PR.