SYDNEY, Australia — Angry Birds was more than an app to Melissa Swift. It was her boyfriend's biggest distraction.

Ben Levi, Swift's boyfriend of nine years, would play the game nonstop — while watching TV, eating dinner, laying in bed and everything in between.

"We'd be lying in bed at night and it would be Angry Birds," Swift said in an interview with the Huffington Post. "We'd be out to dinner with friends like civilized people and you've got Angry Birds going on under the table."

Levi took to his tablet and began playing Angry Birds Friends during a celebratory dinner with Swift. They were celebrating moving in together, and when she noticed him playing she got a little upset.

However, Levi quickly invited her to play the game. At first, everything seemed normal, Swift recounted. But when she hit level 3, the words "MARRY ME MEL" popped up on the screen.

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For men, the marriage proposal is one of the biggest "make it or break it" moments of their lives. Not only do they have to worry about whether their lucky lady will respond in a correct and timely manner, but they are also under tremendous pressure to make the proposal itself as creative, romantic and memorable as possible.

"I think I would have been less surprised had I seen a flying pig," she said. "I remember looking at it and not really comprehending what it meant. He was down on one knee, and it just all fell into place and I just started crying."

Levi came up with the idea and contacted Angry Birds' parent company Rovio. The company had taken suggestions from a 5-year-old in 2010, who then inspired a level in one of the Angry Birds apps.

at the time of the release. Wilson added that Ethan provided specific details on objects and birds that should be played with.

Levi took a similar approach to Rovio. He sent a request in January, but didn't except to to hear anything back.

"I sent an email out to Angry Birds, to Rovio, and just said, "Hey, strange request, but I would really love you guys to make me an iPad app,' " he said in a video documenting the proposal.

When Rovio gave the green light to Levi's plans, he worked with the company to design the proposal.

"I wanted to do something special and really stun her," Levi said in the same Huffington Post interview. "There's not much I can do anymore that can surprise her, because she knows to expect ridiculous things."

Everyone who downloads Angry Birds Friends will be able to see the level with Levi's proposal in the app's one-week tournament that began May 6.