@Games4Fun, heres a few tips
when your blade(including the hammer) looses damage, use a whetstone. just scroll through you inventory till you find it and use like you would a potion..only it takes longer and leaves you wide open. best use it out of combat.
if your gun runs out of it's currently equiped bullets, switch to a different kind. i dont know what control scheme you use, but if you use the wiimote press up or down on the D-pad.
hope this helps