Lots of people seem to have trouble getting RetroArch 1.6.0 or later to work, ever since it introduced the fancy new XMB menu. The reason everyone fails to get it working is because you actually need the XMB files on your SD card which are the menu icons for the new GUI. Here's a quick tutorial on getting the latest RetroArch running.
1) First you'll need to download the latest RetroArch: http://retroarch.com/index.php?page=platforms
2) Scroll down to...
[Tutorial] How to use the latest RetroArch on Wii U
1) First you'll need to download the latest RetroArch: http://retroarch.com/index.php?page=platforms
2) Scroll down to...
[Tutorial] How to use the latest RetroArch on Wii U