Bad Piggies hits #1 in App Store in three hours

Never underestimate the power of brand recognition. Bad Piggies launched last week on the App Store, bearing very little resemblance to the Angry Birds titles. But it stars egg-pilfering swines, which no doubt helped rocket it to the top of the iOS App Store charts.

Rovio announced today that the game reached the top of the digital retailer's charts in just three hours, marking a new record for the company. The game is scheduled to get its first free update in the next few weeks, titled "Flight Into the Night." It will contain more levels and unlockables.

Familiar faces aren't the only advantage Bad Piggies has -- its simple building-based gameplay is actually pretty clever. The building mechanic has more depth than Angry Birds, which some figured might ward away the series' large fan base, but apparently it's being embraced all the same.

It is available on iPhone for 99 cents and iPad for $2.99.