hb-appstore VS NX-Shell

Do not use Retroarch, instead use MelonDS (you can find it in the homebrew store or here) and enable ARM Jit Recompiler. It should work fine, but I had some text troubles when I tried Mario & Luigi Partners in Time and I suggest to install switchroot Android to use emulators there

install the homebrew appstore GITHUB - HB APPSTORE if you haven't already. Try the emulators. Retroarch, Tesla for system information overlays, Daybreak for updating firmware, 90DNS to test if you are properly blocking the Nintendo servers. FTPD for FTP. NUT (Windows app) for Tinfoil, makes USB transfers easy. Especially useful if you need to convert XCI to NSP. Once you get bored. Install Android.

Homebrew app store - you can install many homebrews like retroarch, goldleaf, incognito, themes and more

It's better to just Google the app your after and get it off their GitHub so you know the apps are updated for example if you want tinfoil Google tinfoil and then copy all the apps you want into your switch folder this will put them all in the album. But here is the nro for the Hb store https://github.com/fortheusers/hb-appstore/releases

wiiu.hacks.guide and an app on the homebrew appstore that I forget the name of, i think it's called am64ds patcher?

The guide isn't meant to give you homebrew applications, only the required ones. I would recommend getting the homebrew appstore to easilly get any app you want (including tinfoil). You can get it from https://github.com/fortheusers/hb-appstore/releases and you have to just put it in the "Switch" folder in your sd card. From there just open hombrew menu and it will be there

You can find the appstore here -- https://github.com/fortheusers/hb-appstore/releases. As it says, this is one of those that wants to be in its own folder, so sdmc:\switch\appstore\appstore.nro.

It sounds like you are new to Wii U hacking, so I recommend that you use wiiu.hacks.guide to homebrew your Wii U if it isn't homebrewed already. If it is, I recommend you get the Homebrew AppStore (if you don't know how to install it, look here). That way if you have a question like this again, you can check there first or use Google before asking us.

Try downloading a fresh copy of the homebrew app store and replacing the one in your "switch" folder on the SD card. Make sure your time and date are correct on the switch

You might be able to access the save files using a Switch file manager like NX-Shell.

I recommend using a file manager like NX-Shell though since you can do all this directly from your switch without using a PC or phone. You can download it from homebrew store or https://github.com/joel16/NX-Shell/releases.

In addition to what others have said, if you really have no other options: https://github.com/joel16/NX-Shell

So I'll repeat my suggestion. Clean up the files using NX-Shell. Presumably you don't have a Windows PC handy or else you would have already fixed it, so there's a solution you can do right on the Switch itself.

NX Shell says it supports extracting zip archives - https://github.com/joel16/NX-Shell/releases

Hell yeah there is bud! You've got a few options, you could use NX-Shell which is a file browser found here or can be found on the homebrew App Store, second you could use Hekate and put your system into USB mode then connect to the system with your computer via USB although it sounds like you want to avoid your PC so the first option may be best.