The ability to play as the pigs in Angry Birds has been there all along, it turns out. All you need is the new Mattel King Pig accessory and you can unlock four ways to play within the original Angry Birds HD app.

Launched by the toy company as part of its Apptivity range, the new Angry Birds Magic, as it is called, lets you play any level of the original game with a new twist.

There are four special modes that can be unlocked by placing the King Pig character on your iPad's screen.

Material Mix Up sees the material of the structures on which the pigs sit change. Wood can suddenly become rock, rock can become ice, or ice can become wood - bringing a very different spin to some of the levels.

In Bird Frenzy, you don't get a limit on the birds but you do get a time in which to complete the level, while Total Destruction sees you having to destroy the constructions as fast as possible by swiping your King Pig toy over the structure and ignoring the birds altogether.

King Pig mode is where you get to play the pigs. It turns the birds into pigs, allowing you to launch naughty pigs at unsuspecting eggs.

The new Angry Birds Magic character / accessory costs £11.99 and is available - and when you aren't using the King Pig, he makes for a nice fun ornament on your shelf.

Rovio, the Angry Birds creator, has also recently confirmed that there will be a completely separate Pigs game called Bad Piggies. It is due out at the end of September.